Assemblyman Steven Brooks attempts to purchase gun; routine background check being conducted

A Nevada assemblyman who was banned from the Legislature building attempted to buy a gun at Scheel's Sporting Goods Thursday night in Sparks.Assemblyman Steven Brooks allegedly tried to buy a hunting-style rifle at the sporting goods store, Sheriff Ken Furlong said. “The transaction did not go through,” Furlong said of the attempted purchase.State officials told the Associated Press they have initiated a routine background check to determine whether Brooks can purchase the rifle.The Nevada Department of Public Safety's Record and Technology Division hopes to determine by Tuesday whether there are any “disqualifying factors” that would prevent Brooks from buying the gun, its chief, Patrick Conmay told the Associated Press.“What I want to make clear is that this background check isn't unusual,” Conmay told The Associated Press. “It's the Brady background check that would be done on anyone that would purchase a firearm. I want to make sure we're thorough like in every case.”Brooks' lawyer, Mitchell Posin, told the Associated Press the North Las Vegas Democrat shopped for a hunting rifle for recreational purposes. He said Brooks filled out paperwork for the background check, but didn't pay the fee to initiate the inspection.“I think this was kind of a day wandering around the sporting goods store that was portrayed as something much bigger,” Posin said. “What we're talking about are recreational, legal, unthreatening purchases. Someone came along and said he couldn't buy a gun and now there's a whole media circus around it.”None of the cases Brooks has been charged with have been adjudicated, Furlong said. Until the cases are adjudicated, and in the state's favor, Brooks would not be added to a do-not-buy list for that reason, although he could be denied the ability to purchase for other reasons.“We're looking to summarize what events took place in Las Vegas,” he said.The Department of Alternative Sentencing served Brooks a protection order on Feb. 14, for Speaker Marylin Kirkpatrick and Assemblyman William Horne. Alternative Sentencing called for assistance from deputies. Brooks and deputies engaged in a verbal altercation but, through the help of Brooks' attorney, the orders were able to be served. “We were able to calm him down and serve him the papers,” Furlong said.Brooks left Carson City that night and is believed to be staying in Sparks.“We hope he does not come back to Carson,” Furlong said, adding, “He has not broken any laws. He has not done anything wrong. We're monitoring the situation very, very closely.”Brooks was banished from the Legislative Building after two recent arrests, including one on Jan. 19 involving allegations he threatened Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick over his committee assignments. According to police, he had a gun in his car and dozens of rounds of ammunition.Days after posting bail, he was detained and hospitalized for a mental evaluation after a disturbance at his grandmother's house involving a sword.On Feb. 10, he was arrested on suspicion of physically attacking his estranged wife in Las Vegas, then grabbing for an officer's gun as he was taken into custody.Brooks has denied any wrongdoing, and no charges have been filed against him yet.Earlier this month, he began a three-week leave after the unprecedented creation of a bipartisan Assembly committee that will consider whether to expel him from the Legislature.Chief Patrick Conmay and Mitchell Posin did not return calls to the Nevada Appeal on Friday.