Attorney David Jacks Detains Madman with Gun at Firm

On Valentine’s Day 2018, I represented the spouse of a madman at a TPO hearing. It was supposed to be a formality where the TPO judge simply would determine whether the madman qualified for a free attorney to assist with a defense to the hundreds of violations, with which he had been charged, of the temporary protection order his wife had against him.  The TPO was ordered in October 2017 after numerous rants about suicide and homicide on social media, texts, and other communication to his wife. Despite the order to cease this conduct, he continued, violating the order hundreds of times.

At the hearing, true to form, rather than follow a logical and sane course, the madman argued with the judge and suggested he felt solidarity with the October 1 Mandalay Bay shooter and other mass shooters, which resulted in a 48 hour lockup, and culminated in the April 13, 2018 armed detention by David Jacks at our law offices. As I drove to my law firm following my business at court on Valentines Day, I learned about the high school shooting in Florida that occurred earlier that morning.

On Friday April 13, 2018, almost two months later, this madman left his utility truck running, parked in front of our main entry of our law offices in the fire lane.  He apparently drove across the valley to our offices not only under the influence of some drugs, but also with serious malicious intent.

He entered our suite wearing a mask with a skull and crossbones on it. Fortuitously, David Jacks happened to see the madman's truck while the madman was in the elevator on his way up to our offices.  During the madman's elevator ride, David obtained his firearm, secured a position, and then could detain the madman for several minutes while the police were called and everyone waited for their arrival. The Henderson police had been alerted by me on Valentine's Day of the potential threat following the hearing.

Our entire building, which houses five companies and dozens of personel, was unable to conduct business for several hours and nearby schools were on lock down due to this. After the police arrived, David Jacks was initially handcuffed but quickly released by the police when they realized his role in the events. He was then commended as a hero by the police for having used a weapon to detain a person who was up to no good without shedding any blood. David was also commended on local talk radio for this and the story was in the news within no time. http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/37952281/henderson-police-armed-business-owner-takes-down-man-up-to-no-good

If fortune smiles on us, the madman will be locked up for a long, long time. He is currently charged by the police with five felonies in Henderson, NV.

Below is the video of that TPO hearing I attended. I share this so that we friends who know each other can understand on a more personal level the issues of sanity, domestic violence, drugs addiction, and gun use in our society than what we may glean from news articles about strangers. Not unlike the high schoolers in Florida who knew the gunman who killed many of their classmates and teachers, the madman in this situation as well as his wife, David, and I all went to high school together. If the people who know a madman the best cannot convince judges and officers to take action until a traumatic event occurs like on the morning of Friday the 13th, how can we stem the problems of violence, mental health, and drug use?

A link to the first and second hearing are below. During the second hearing, the madman and the judge go at it some more and the madman is arrested for his disappointing and relatively pointless 48 hours of custody for contempt of court.


https://youtu.be/GqT0mzG5fjk

https://youtu.be/7uJbzH_4atM

Madman's utility truck being towed following armed detention by attorney David Jacks