Lawmakers anxious in wake of alleged threats to Assembly speaker

Tensions are high among state lawmakers in Carson City and Las Vegas, with at least one elected official hinting he will carry a gun to committee meetings because of Assemblyman Steven Brooks' arrest over allegations of violent threats against Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick.

Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong acknowledged there is fear among lawmakers and others.

"It's a bad situation they are coming into," Furlong said. "People are on edge, what with the gun situation in this country. We have a lot of good people, civilians working in the Legislature, who are worried."

Among the concerned is Majority Leader William Horne, D-Las Vegas, who has a concealed-weapons permit. He said legislative police will be visible and vigilant.

Horne also is considering packing heat at meetings. He has done it before when he thought it necessary, but he declined to say whether he will have a gun at a hearing today in Carson City. Horne said legislative police will pay special attention to Brooks if he decides to attend committee sessions. "An assessment will be made if Steven Brooks is a safety risk," Horne said. "I am concerned. This is a distraction, but the distraction will be handled."

Brooks, D-North Las Vegas, was arrested Saturday on a felony charge of intimidating a public officer by threat of physical violence. The 40-year-old was released from the Las Vegas jail Sunday on $100,000 bail. Horne and Kirkpatrick have received police protection since that time, and Brooks' case will be referred to the state attorney general's office.

Brooks declared his innocence Monday, but did not show up for a scheduled news conference Tuesday in Carson City. His lawyer, Mitchell Posin, said Brooks had been admitted to a Las Vegas hospital with intestinal bleeding. He was released late Tuesday afternoon.

Posin said Brooks could attend today's hearing if his doctor gives his consent. When called by a reporter, Brooks said, "No comment," and hung up. Both Horne and Kirkpatrick will be at that hearing in Carson City. Brooks could attend the hearing in Southern Nevada because it will be teleconferenced to the Legislature's office on the fourth floor of the Sawyer Building in Las Vegas. Horne said he was given a form for a restraining order but has not decided whether he will file it against Brooks.

Furlong did not know whether Kirkpatrick will seek a restraining order but added "there is some paperwork" on his desk dealing with legislative matters.

Horne expects legislative leaders to meet with legislative staff in the next few days and be advised of their options on how to deal with Brooks and whether he can be seated in the wake of his arrest. There is no movement to remove Brooks from office, a step that would require two-thirds approval from the Assembly, Horne said.

North Las Vegas police also chimed in on the matter Tuesday and said Brooks made indirect threats about harming Kirkpatrick to several people.

At an afternoon news conference, Sgt. Tim Bedwell said Brooks' threats amounted to "more than one comment to more than one person," prompting his arrest.

"The threat was physical in nature, and it was a threat to life," Bedwell said. "And it was either meant to intimidate or to put fear in the victim."

Officers visited Kirkpatrick's home Saturday. They also contacted people who relayed Brooks' threats to Kirkpatrick, Bedwell said.

He did not name those who spoke to police during their investigation, saying he would not discuss witness statements or release police reports.

The Las Vegas Sun reported Tuesday that a police report it obtained said Brooks' wife told police that she was worried about her husband's mental stability and that family members told police that Brooks said he was "willing to have a shootout" and was "not afraid to die."

The reported threats gained credibility when officers made a traffic stop on Brooks in the northeast valley and found that he had a gun and ammunition with him, Bedwell said.

Witnesses told investigators where they could find Brooks and said that he would be armed, Bedwell said.

"He has now the means. We're told he has the desire," Bedwell said. "It's our responsibility to prosecute that ... if it meets the element of the charge."

Bedwell would not say what type of gun Brooks had in his car or how much ammunition was found during the traffic stop. He said the gun was not registered to Brooks but had not been reported stolen.

Investigators will determine why Brooks had the weapon, whether he had it lawfully and whether the owner of the gun wanted him to have it. Bedwell also said investigators will try to determine whether Brooks ever threatened Kirkpatrick during a direct confrontation.

Posin said Brooks will fight the allegations.

"He is obviously upset about what is going on," Posin said. "He feels he is unfairly accused of something he didn't do."

On Monday, Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow, who has known Brooks for about 10 years, denied seeing signs of unusual behavior from Brooks and said he had no knowledge of the arrest before it was announced by the North Las Vegas police Sunday morning.

"I found out when everyone else did," Barlow said.

But police reports indicate that Barlow had been troubled by Brooks' behavior and notified others during the chain of events leading to the arrest, the Sun reported.

Barlow declined repeated attempts Tuesday to reconcile the differing versions of events, telling the Review-Journal, "There is no need for me to speak further regarding this matter."

According to his biography on Votesmart.org, Brooks is a former mathematics teacher. When first elected in 2010, he listed his occupation as "self-employed." He is a city of Las Vegas management analyst and is on leave without pay, according to City Manager Betsy Fretwell.

Brooks is a member of Victory Missionary Baptist Church in North Las Vegas, confirmed Dr. Robert Fowler, pastor.

In a 2011 legislative biographical sketch, Brooks said he was a member of the church's board, but Fowler said that has never been the case. Edie Cartwright, a spokeswoman for state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, said the Brooks case will be forwarded to her office by the Clark County district attorney's office.

"Our office has primary jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute state elected officials, but we have yet to receive the prosecution referral," she said.

Review-Journal reporter Benjamin Spillman contributed to this report.