LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – One week ago, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer opened fire on a valley real estate agent as he wrestled with an accused intruder in his own home.
26-year-old Officer Alexander Bookman shot and killed 43-year-old Brandon Durham in the early morning of November 12. Body camera video shows Durham and the accused intruder struggling with a knife. Bookman demands they drop the knife. He opened opened fire and killed the homeowner. Metro put Officer Bookman on routine administrative leave while it investigates.
FOX5 Investigates wanted to know how officers go about looking into the actions of one of their own colleagues. Our team learned this investigative process is not unique to Metro. Many police departments across the country conduct both internal investigations, and if necessary, criminal investigations after an officer shoots someone. These types of probes can take weeks, sometimes months.
Metro has a separate bureau dedicated to reviewing deadly force incidents like officer involved shootings. It’s called the Internal Oversight and Constitutional Policing (IOCP) Bureau. The IOCP is made up of three sections: the Critical Incident Review Team (CIRT), Force Investigation Team (FIT) and the Office of Internal Oversight (OIO). They look to see if the officer broke any policies and determine if the shooting was justified. They then give their findings to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. At that point, the DA will decide if charges will be filed against any officers.
FOX5 Investigates reached out to Metro for more insight into the process but the team has not heard back yet.
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