LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For the first time, we're hearing from the close friends of Brandon Durham, the man who called 911 for help this week but was shot and killed by a Las Vegas police officer.
Calls for accountability and answers are mounting for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and the officer who shot and killed Durham. Metro police say it's still early in the investigation, but there are a lot of unanswered questions.
I sat down with some of Durham's loved ones, who shared emotional reactions to what happened — and what comes next.
His close friends tell me they're still trying to make sense of what happened.
"It was a bad shot. I've watched that video since 50-plus times," said Branden Cinquegrani. "The officer was not threatened. He just didn't take the time to de-escalate the situation, which he should have and my friend would be here."
Cinquegrani is talking about the body-worn camera video shared by Las Vegas police, which shows the moment Officer Alexander Bookman fired at Durham.
I sat down with Cinquegrani inside the real estate office where Durham used to work. It's a place filled with memories — awards and photos of Durham's daughter line the walls.
"His 15-year-old daughter just lost her father, pretty much in front of her," Cinquegrani said. "And you know, it's hard. It's very disheartening."
Speaking of the chaotic scene that unfolded in Durham's home early Tuesday morning, friends say it's hard to believe it ended this way.
"You can hear him. You can hear it. It wasn't a girl's voice calling. It wasn't — it was him," said Steve Cowan, another of Durham's good friends.
Cowan tells me he was first to arrive on the scene, having to console his best friend's daughter after the officer shot her father.
"Then the family and all of us walked down to Bella and told her, and that was just the most heartbreaking," Cowan said. "That was probably the worst — having to tell a 15-year-old kid that their dad died."
Both Cinquegrani and Cowan tell me they want answers and accountability for their friend.
I reached out to Las Vegas Metro Police on Friday to request some additional details and answers after Thursday's press conference. As of this report, we haven't heard back.
"There needs to be an action where we make sure Metro's held accountable, and we make things better from here," Cinquegrani said. "We have to admit the mistake and move forward from that. And there needs to be justice."
"Who was Brandon, and what did he mean to you?" I asked Cinquegrani and Cowan.
"He was a beautiful soul," Cinquegrani said. "He lit up a room. He had a huge personality. Everybody who met him loved him."
"He was — he was goofy," Cowan said. "'Goofy' would be the word I would use, loud and goofy. He danced his dance. That's his thing."
Durham wasn't just a real estate agent. His friends tell me he was a proud Las Vegas local, a huge sports fan, and above all, a devoted father.
"He loved sports," Cinquegrani said. "He was a big Vikings fan, Rebels fan, Golden Knights fan — hometown boy."
As for his friends, right now they're focused on supporting Durham's family.
"His daughter doesn't have her sole provider anymore. And she's probably not going to be able to live where she grew up," Cinquegrani said. "And it's just very — it's very disheartening. They need to do better."
