The first assemblyman ever expelled from Nevada's legislature was arrested in Southern California yesterday following a bizarre CHP pursuit and subsequent attack on a police dog.

Some of the action was captured on video (after the jump).

Authorities say Steven Brooks, 41, started the pursuit about 6:11 p.m. yesterday after cops arrived …

… to deal with a dispute he was having with a tow-truck driver at Lenwood Road near the 15 freeway in Barstow.


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The tow-truck driver felt that Brooks was going to defraud him, cops said. Brooks' SUV had a flat tire.

Nonetheless, as an officer was talking the the suspect, he walked away at a fast pace, got into the vehicle and sped off south down the 15, according to allegations aired in a Barstow police statement sent to the Weekly:

Brooks continued to accelerate at a high rate of speed and was travelling in and out of multiple lanes in an attempt to get away from officers.

The suspect allegedly threw “metal objects” at cops as they pursued him, with the CHP and San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies joining in, Barstow police said.

Despite a flat tire, the SUV allegedly made a good run of it until a spike strip was laid down and the vehicle came to a stop at Stoddard Wells Road.

Cops say Brooks did not comply with orders to get out of the SUV, so they sent in a canine that was attacked by the suspect:

… He began choking canine 'Buck' and hitting him with a metal socket wrench.

Eventually cops used a taser and got Brooks into handcuffs despite his resistance, Barstow police allege.

The suspect was checked out at Barstow Community Hospital before being booked on suspicion of felony evading, resisting police, harming a police dog, and throwing objects out a window with intent to harm, according to authorities.

The dog had to be treated for a laceration to an eye and leg but was otherwise okay, cops said.

Brooks was voted out of the Nevada state legislature yesterday as a result of erratic behavior, including two recent arrests and a mental evaluation at a hospital.

He said some of his political foes have tried to kill him.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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