When LVMPD killed Brandon Durham in his Las Vegas home last November, our community erupted in grief and outrage. Collectively trying to reconcile the grim state of affairs when a Black person interacts with law enforcement. Community activists filled our streets. News cameras rolled. Investigations were started. But now, as winter settles over our city, that righteous anger has given way to a familiar, dangerous silence.
As a Black man in the United States, I’ve watched this pattern repeat too many times. A life is taken at the hands of a law enforcement officer. The community mourns. Investigations are launched. And then, gradually, public attention drifts away while families are left alone with their grief, unanswered questions and empty promises.
We cannot allow this to happen with Brandon Durham.
The facts are stark: A man was killed in his own home by our “partners in community.” The officer responsible remains on administrative leave while the District Attorney’s office conducts an investigation to determine if the officer will be held criminally liable. The DA’s office has up to 90 days to conduct said investigation, but as Dr. King once said, “…justice delayed is justice denied.” Every day that passes without answers deepens the wound in our community and reinforces the perception that accountability for law enforcement is more myth than reality.
The question we must confront is not just about one officer or one tragedy. It’s about a system that consistently fails to deliver justice when those charged with enforcing the law break it themselves. The investigation into Brandon Durham’s death is a test of whether that system can change – whether our community’s demands for accountability will be heard or once again brushed aside.
Some will say we should wait quietly for the investigative process to run its course. But history teaches us that justice rarely comes to those who wait quietly. It comes to those who demand it persistently and peacefully, who refuse to let convenience overcome conscience. The branch members of the NAACP Las Vegas will be persistent in our demand to ensure that this tragedy never transpires in our community again.
The District Attorney’s office has the power and responsibility to ensure that Brandon Durham’s death receives the scrutiny it deserves. But he will only exercise that power if we, as a community, continue to demand it. Every resident of Las Vegas should ask themselves: In a city that prides itself on justice and equality, how can we accept anything less than a full accounting of how a man came to die in his own home at the hands of police?
This is not just about Brandon Durham anymore. It’s about whether we, as a society, truly believe in equal justice under law. It’s about whether we will allow another death to be quietly filed away, or whether we will stand firm in demanding answers and accountability.
The cameras may have moved on, but our commitment to justice will not waver. Brandon Durham’s family deserves answers. Our community deserves better. And those responsible for his death must be held accountable.
The time for action is now. Contact the District Attorney’s office. Attend city council meetings. Share Brandon’s story. Let our elected officials know that we have not forgotten, and we will not forget.
