Crime
43-year-old Brandon Durham killed in officer-involved shooting near Sunset Park
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) identified the officer who fired his weapon as 26-year-old Officer Alexander Bookman.
Las Vegas police have released details regarding an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a knife-wielding suspect near Sunset Park on Tuesday.
On that day, officers responded to reports of a disturbance in the 6900 block of Wine Drive.
Upon arrival, they heard a loud commotion coming from within a nearby residence.
After entering the home, officers encountered two individuals engaged in a physical altercation, during which one of them was armed with a knife.
According to police, one officer commanded the armed individual to drop the weapon.
However, when the situation escalated, another officer discharged his firearm, striking the armed individual.
The Clark County Coroner identified the deceased as 43-year-old Brandon Durham. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) identified the officer who fired his weapon as 26-year-old Officer Alexander Bookman.
Officer Bookman, who joined the LVMPD in 2021, is assigned to the Community Safety Division within the South Central Area Command.
Following standard protocol, Officer Bookman has been placed on paid administrative leave while the department conducts a thorough review of the incident.
The LVMPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation to ensure all details are fully examined.
LAS VEGAS, NV – A 36-year-old man accused of setting multiple Tesla vehicles on fire using Molotov cocktails has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies, according to court and jail records.
The suspect, identified as Paul Hyon Kim, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday.
He faces 15 charges, including:
- Arson,
- Destruction of property valued at $5,000 or more,
- Possession of an incendiary device, and
- Misdemeanor discharging a firearm into a vehicle.
Video footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) showed a suspect, dressed in black, targeting at least five Tesla vehicles in the parking lot of a Tesla service center located at 6260 Badura Avenue, near Jones Boulevard and the 215 Beltway.
The incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. on February 18.
Authorities say the suspect used multiple incendiary devices to ignite the Teslas, one of which failed to detonate and was recovered inside a vehicle.
Additionally, the front doors of the facility were vandalized with the word “RESIST” spray-painted across them.
During a news conference later that morning, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren described the attack as a targeted assault on Tesla property, with potential ideological motivations.
“This was a targeted attack against a Tesla facility,” Koren stated. “While we believe this was an isolated incident, we are increasing our presence at Tesla-related locations throughout the valley as a precaution.”
The Clark County Fire Department and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are actively involved in the investigation.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer Evans acknowledged the attack had “some of the hallmarks of terrorism” but refrained from making a definitive classification.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, however, released a strongly worded statement, referring to the attack as part of a pattern of violence targeting Tesla facilities.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” Bondi stated.
Kim remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact Las Vegas Metro Police or the FBI.