Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Police detain Brooks for psychiatric evaluation, confiscate sword

Updated Friday, Jan. 25, 2013 | 9:20 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

Booking photo of Assemblyman Steven Brooks of North Las Vegas.

Assemblyman Steven Brooks has been detained by police for a psychiatric evaluation after a disturbance at his grandmother's house, Metro Police reported today.

Officers were called about 1 p.m. to the residence, in the 8400 block of Westcliff Drive, to investigate a family disturbance. They determined an arrest was not warranted, but following comments Brooks made, decided he needed a medical evaluation to determine whether he was a risk to himself or others.

"It was additionally reported Mr. Brooks was exhibiting what was described as bizarre behavior," police said.

Police released Brooks to the custody of medical personnel, who transported him to an area hospital.

Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Rick Combs said Brooks was in possession of "some type of sword," prompting legislative police to call Metro Police.

"Metro has seized the sword and has taken Mr. Brooks into custody," Combs said.

A legislative police officer was with Brooks when he produced the sword. Combs said the officer was providing dignitary protection at Brooks' request.

The detainment is the latest development since Saturday, when Brooks was arrested on charges of threatening the life of Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick. Brooks was found with a loaded gun and 41 rounds of ammunition in his car.

Since his arrest, Brooks has been acting erratically, showing up at the legislative building in dark sunglasses, with a hood shrouding part of his face.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in which Brooks was shirtless, he accused Kirkpatrick of being a threat to his own life.

In a separate development, Council Ricki Barlow, who was cited as a witness in Brooks’ arrest report, denied the assemblyman ever made threatening comments to him regarding Kirkpatrick.

“Councilman Barlow has had an opportunity to review a report of the North Las Vegas Police Department wherein Assistant Chief (Victor) Dunn asserts that Councilman Barlow believed there was a real danger to Speaker Kirkpatrick, and that Councilman Barlow may have contacted Sen. (Kelvin) Atkinson to give him information about threats made to Speaker Kirkpatrick,” Barlow’s attorney Adam Levine wrote in a press release. “These assertions by Assistant Chief Dunn are false.”

According to the arrest report, Atkinson called Kirkpatrick after speaking with an unnamed person who had told him Brooks had a gun and was looking to hurt the speaker. Kirkpatrick then called police.

Levine said Barlow conveyed his concerns about Brooks’ mental state to police and to Atkinson, but never specified that Kirkpatrick was in danger.

“Brooks’ mother indicated that the last thing she wanted was for her son to be involved in an altercation or shootout with the police, and expressed a fear that in his current mental state, Steven might not be afraid to do so,” Levine wrote.

Kirkpatrick told police Brooks had recently been released from a psychiatric facility prior to his arrest.

Brooks’ lawyer Mitchell Posin has declined to address questions about Brooks’ mental health.

UPDATE: This story has been edited to correct the name of Barlow's attorney.

Reporter Jackie Valley contributed to this report.

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