LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The attorneys for Brandon Durham's family met with District Attorney Steven Wolfson on Wednesday morning to get an update in filing charges against the officer who shot Durham.
You can watch that press conference here:
The attorneys said they are still waiting for the indictment of the responding officer.
"The file is 98% complete and within the next few weeks, two weeks tops, he expects to have a complete file for his attorneys to consider and they will make a charging decision," said attorney Lee Merritt.
Merritt later clarified that the remaining 2% was lab results.
Merritt and attorney Cannon Lambert, as well as members of Durham's family, continued to call for charges against the officer.
Sister Diane Wright
“Once again, anybody is able to see exactly how this situation went down. I am not understanding why it is taking so long for justice to come into fruition regarding this. The officer was at the home the night before speaking with both my brother and (Alejandra) Boudreaux for over 20 minutes. You were having a full conversation. You know who is who. There is no way that you do not know who it is the suspect is and who the homeowner is.
“How do you come in waving your gun at both people and you shoot my brother continuously until his demise. There is no way. There is no way that that is OK; there is no justification for it; there is no way that this was some split-second decision. It is purely calculated.
“We want justice. I’m going to keep repeating it. We want justice. This is unacceptable. We want justice.”
Wife Rachel Gore
"I’m only here today because I lost someone I loved, very deeply.
"I am so frustrated with this process. I am so frustrated with this DA’s procrastination to file charges. I am devastated that he hasn’t filed charges. I am upset that he hasn’t filed charges.
"I am not at peace with myself. I’m not at peace with the situation. I think he is an elected official. I think he answers to the people. He answered to meet with us today and he answered to meet with us before, but he was very inconsistent with his phrases about how he wants to proceed with this.
"He said he hasn’t got a file, but also he hasn’t decided to file charges, but also he thinks it’s close. When I asked him, ‘What is close about this?’ He could not answer that for me.
"These are the facts. Bookman walked into the home. Bookman’s an LVMPD police officer. He shot Brandon once, he shot him again, he shot him again, he shot him again and again. And then he turned to the suspect and asked them if they need help up. I don’t see how that’s not criminal. I don’t see what’s close about this.
"I hope you’re watching this, Wolfson, and you can think about this at night, and think about how my life has been ruined, how my life has been forever changed, because I never thought I would ever encounter something like this in my entire life."
Mother Lenore DeJesus
“I am so disappointed in this DA. I’m so disappointed in this police department. It is obvious what went down. It’s obvious what happened. This is a heinous crime, and they need to take responsibility. They sent an untrained officer, and this was the outcome.
"This is murder. When you shoot an unarmed man who calls you for help and looks you in the face and says ‘Help me,’ and you shoot him, that’s murder — in this state and in any other state. So what is taking so long is beyond me.
"I am absolutely disappointed in the way this has been handled; it’s so heinous that it should have been No. 1 on their to-do list of finding out and getting it done and prosecuting this inept officer. I can’t imagine anybody else would want to ride with him. I can’t imagine anybody else wanting to do business with him. I expect him to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, because my son deserves justice.”
When asked how the attorneys and family would proceed if the prosecution chose not to indict the officer, Merritt said some steps could be taken to continue the case at the state level.
"The officer then took two steps forward and discharged five more times, therefore, killing Brandon. It's extremely important that you look at those things because, when you do, it makes it clear that this is not a close call," Lambert said. "This is something that we expect charges to be brought based on the evidence. This is not something we are asking him to do beyond the law. We are asking him to simply follow the law."
43-year-old Brandon Durham was a father and local realtor who was shot and killed by a Las Vegas Metro Police officer in his own home in the early hours of Nov. 12.
Around 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, police say 43-year-old Brandon Durham told 911 dispatchers that he was inside his home with his 15-year-old daughter and two people were trying to get inside.
He told dispatchers he was locking himself in a bathroom. But when police arrived, Asst. Sheriff Dori Koren says they heard screaming and found Durham struggling with the suspect, a 31-year-old woman Alejandra Boudreaux.
The body-worn camera footage from the shooting shows Officer Alexander Bookman fired the first shot at Durham's head seconds after issuing a command to drop the knife. He shot the 43-year-old five more times after he fell to the ground.
