Democrats Behaving Badly Update- Expelled Nevada Assemblyman Arrested After Police Chase in California Desert

The actions of Nevada State Assemblyman Steven Brooks first drew attention back in January when he reportedly threatened a colleague with a gun. Since then, the situation involving the North Las Vegas Democrat has only gotten more disturbing and bizarre- so bizarre that his colleagues had taken the unprecedented step of voting to expel him from the state assembly after a February domestic disturbance arrest in which Brooks reportedly lunged for a responding policeman's sidearm.

But things really got weird after Brooks' expulsion- within hours of being ousted, the former lawmaker was arrested by police in California after leading them on a high speed chase through the Mojave desert on Thursday.

At approximately 6:11 p.m., two Barstow police patrol cars responded to a report of a disturbance between a motorist and tow truck driver near Lenwood Road and the southbound I-15 offramp.

The tow truck driver told police that the motorist’s vehicle had a flat tire but refused to provide payment or any form of identification.

While one officer spoke with the tow truck driver, another spoke with the man, who turned away from the officer and began quickly walking to his vehicle, according to police.

The man ignored an officer’s orders to stop, the officer went to the passenger-side window of the burgundy SUV in an attempt to obtain ID.

The man refused to provide any, started the SUV and began accelerating at a high rate of speed onto the southbound I-15, police said.

Two squad cars, including a K-9 unit, began a pursuit with sirens on, Barstow police Chief Albert Ramirez confirmed.

During the chase, the man drove in and out of multiple lanes at high speeds in an attempt to evade officers while his vehicle emitted sparks due to the flat tire, according to police.

Barstow Police contacted California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino County sheriff’s for assistance. A sheriff’s helicopter arrived as well.

The motorist threw a number of metal objects out of the window of his vehicle during the pursuit. It was reported Thursday that one of the objects was a handgun. Ramirez said on Friday that CHP initially believed this to be true, but that a handgun had not been found.

CHP deployed a spike strip and stopped the man’s vehicle on southbound I-15, just north of Stoddard Wells Road.

Officers told the man to exit the SUV and initially he refused. Eventually, the man exited but was “acting irrational,” according to a police news release.

With Brooks not responding to officer’s orders, the Barstow Police K-9 Unit deployed canine “Buck.” The man went back inside the SUV, according to police and witnesses.

The canine entered the SUV and the man began choking the dog and hitting him with a metal socket wrench, police said. CHP and Barstow police officers attempted to place the motorist in handcuffs, but he continued to resist officers and would not comply with orders, police said.

Brooks was booked into a San Bernardino County jain on charges of resisting a peace officer with force, felony evading, willful harm to a police service dog and throwing objects from a vehicle with the intent to cause great bodily injury and will be arraigned at the Superior Court in Barstow, CA this week.

For the time being, Assembly District 17- Brooks' former district in North Las Vegas- remains vacant while neither a special election nor appointed Assemblyman has been announced.