Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Assemblyman Steven Brooks makes his introduction during a meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee before departing for the remainder of the meeting on the third day of the 2013 legislative session Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 in Carson City.
Friday, March 15, 2013 | 11:05 a.m.
Assemblyman Steven Brooks' lawyer said today the troubled lawmaker was simply "window shopping" at a Sparks sporting goods store earlier this month when he filled out some paperwork to start the process of buying a rifle.
Las Vegas lawyer Mitchell Posin said the circumstances surrounding Brooks' multiple arrests and attempt to buy the gun after being banned from the Legislative Building have been blown out of proportion.
"All he did was fill out some paperwork" at the Scheels sporting goods store earlier this month, Posin said in an interview for the political talk show To the Point. "He never actually brought the rifle to the cashier, never even paid the $25 fee that is normally paid to process an application. They took it upon themselves to process that application."
Brooks was denied the purchase of the weapon after a background check. He won't be allowed to legally purchase a firearm for one year. The reason for the denial has not been disclosed.
Posin said the saleswoman at Scheels was deposed by legislative lawyers and reported Brooks acted normally throughout the process.
"She was deposed and she was asked numerous times, 'Did you see anything unusual? Was he acting in a strange way? Was he threatening to you? Was he upset? Was he angry?'
"To each of these questions, the employee answered, 'No, he just seemed like an average customer.' He was just a normal person in a sporting good store.'"
Asked why Brooks was attempting to buy the rifle, Posin said "a lot of people buy all kinds of sporting good equipment, including rifles, pistols. It does not necessarily mean there was any nefarious intent.
"Again, I'll take you back to the fact he was window shopping. He never even actually attempted to make this purchase."
Posin said Brooks is anxious to get back to work as a lawmaker and will defend himself before a select committee of lawmakers appointed to determine his fitness to continuing serving as a legislator.
Brooks is facing a felony charge of resisting an officer during a domestic dispute at his home. He's also facing charges of assaulting an officer and domestic battery.
A separate criminal investigation is pending into whether he threatened Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick.
The full interview with Posin will air at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on KSNV-TV Channel 3.
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