Details emerge of Brooks arrest, involvement of Atkinson, Barlow

UPDATE: Even more details than below are contained in the pre-booking Declaration of Arrest, which I have obtained and posted here.

Details have begun to emerge about how Assemblyman Steven Brooks came to be arrested on Saturday on charges of threatening Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, including the involvement of state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson, who has been forthright about his role, and Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Barlow, who has not.

Here's what I know happened, from law enforcement, in addition to what I have already reported on this site, corroborated by law enforcement's account:

----Kirkpatrick contacted police after getting a call from Atkinson. She told officers that Brooks repeatedly had said she ruined his life by becoming speaker. Atkinson had received a call from Barlow that Brooks was looking to harm others. Kirkpatrick told police Atkinson was seeking a Temporary Protective Order against Brooks and no one should feel safe. Kirkpatrick also said she had been told by Atkinson that Brooks was at a behavioral treatment center the previous evening.

----Atkinson told police that Brooks told him he was looking to "do in" the speaker and was driving around with a loaded gun in his car. Brooks also contacted law enforcement, saying he was concerned about his own safety.

-----Relatives told police Brooks had a gun and told Barlow he had a loaded gun, that he may harm the speaker and was not afraid to die and willing to have a shootout with police.

----Barlow, who previously said he had "no involvement whatsoever," was actively involved. He talked to police, was cagey about whether he had tipped Atkinson, but the police concluded it was the councilman. (Atkinson confirmed to me it was Barlow.) Barlow told officers there may be another gun in the car and possibly drugs.

----His wife, Ada Brooks, told the police that during the last few months her husband's mental health had been getting worse and she was worried about him. (A distraught speaker Kirkpatrick also told police she fears for his mental health.) Steven Brooks yelled at officers for illegally searching his vehicle.  They explained they were doing an inventory of personal property.  He yelled he's an assemblyman and they were violating his rights.

----Brooks ultimately directed the cops to a .357 Smith and Wesson with 41 live rounds of ammo, one used, in a shoebox in his trunk.  He told police he had the gun because he was at the NRA shooting event that day. (He was not, as the police later discovered.)

North Las Vegas police are having a 2:30 presser, the RJ is reporting.

Will update when I can.

 

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