You never know when a threat is real, and not just crazy talk

Would you have had the courage to report that a friend was making threats to "do in" someone?

I've been pondering the question all week after Assemblyman Steven Brooks' arrest Saturday over allegations of making a threat to a public official - Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick.

But in today's world, after the murder of 20 schoolchildren in Connecticut and the assault on former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, dismissing a threat as tough talk is no longer acceptable. It has to be taken seriously. Even if the threat is second- or third-hand.

Teachers and students felt that Jared Loughner was a threat months before he shot Giffords and killed six others outside a Tucson, Ariz., grocery store. They have to live with their own failure to act or warn police.

State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson probably didn't want to call Kirkpatrick to warn her. He had to be asking himself: Am I overreacting?

But he did the right thing and told Kirkpatrick about the threat Saturday.

Of course, Atkinson might not have been entirely altruistic. The North Las Vegas police report said Atkinson said he also was afraid for his own safety.

Kirkpatrick said Brooks had told her about three months ago that when she takes over as speaker, that would be her last day as speaker, according to the chilling police report. Was he talking about a political coup or threatening her?

If Republicans want to gloat, everyone involved is a Democrat.

So how did Atkinson learn about this? The police report said relatives of Brooks said he had called Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Barlow "and told him he (Brooks) had a loaded gun and may harm Speaker Kirkpatrick, and he also said he was not afraid to die and was willing to have a shootout with police."

Barlow isn't admitting to the news media that he called Atkinson.

The police report posted online by Jon Ralston begs to differ.

North Las Vegas Assistant Chief of Police Victor Dunn telephoned Barlow, who said he had spoken to Brooks.

"Councilman Barlow said that there was a problem with Assemblyman Brooks and he needed help," the report said. "Councilman Barlow was clearly reluctant to share information, but he also told Chief Dunn that he believed there may have been another gun in the car and possibly drugs."

Barlow apparently doesn't want to be known as the whistle-blower, yet he may have, even if timidly, stopped potential carnage.

Barlow has known Brooks for about 10 years, and Brooks previously worked as Barlow's liaison. Brooks now works for the city of Las Vegas as a $32,600 a year management analyst.

Even Ada Brooks, the assemblyman's wife, told police she was concerned. "During the last few months her husband's mental health has been getting worse, and she is worried about him," the report said.

Maybe Brooks was being a blowhard. But what if it wasn't merely tough talk? Better to be warning Kirkpatrick than to be speaking at her funeral.

If this really was sparked because of Brooks' anger at Kirkpatrick for not giving him the chairmanship of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, then he is off. What second-term assemblyman gets that plum job?

The woman who got it, Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, was a senator for 10 years and is entering her second term in the Assembly, forced out of the Senate by term limits.

Brooks' attorney, Mitchell Posin, says there is more to the story, and he is obviously correct.

But for now, with what we know, Atkinson did the courageous thing by calling Kirkpatrick, and she was smart not to shrug it off as crazy talk. Her crying as she spoke to police is surely a sign she took this seriously.

Meanwhile, Barlow apparently passed the buck, which was better than nothing.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Email her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call her at 702-383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Morrison.