Groesbeck, ex-Henderson mayor, might face charges

Jace Radke and Jerry Fink

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1999 | 11:09 a.m.

A decision is expected to be made today whether to prosecute former Henderson Mayor Bob Groesbeck on charges of open and gross lewdness and battery of a police officer, the district attorney's office said this morning.

Groesbeck was arrested Friday night after a woman claimed he groped her breasts and dropped his pants in the exclusive House of Blues Foundation Room on the 47th floor of Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

Groesbeck, general counsel for Republic Silver State Disposal Inc., served as mayor of Henderson from 1993 to 1997.

A spokesman for Silver State did not return calls this morning.

A police report, written by arresting Metro Police Sgt. Clark Paris, said Groesbeck appeared to be under the influence of drugs as he was interviewed by police in an office of the Mandalay Bay's security department.

"The behavior and demeanor of Mr. Groesbeck throughout the entire incident is what led myself to believe he was under a controlled substance," Paris wrote in the report. "During the time we observed him in the security office, Mr. Groesbeck had slurred speech, his demeanor would go up and down, he would be quiet and then he would be violent.

"He had a white foamy substance around the edges of his mouth which can be an indicator of cocaine use."

The questioning of Groesbeck was captured on a video tape made by the resort's security force. It is now part of the evidence being weighed by the district attorney's office.

Police gave Groesbeck a gaze test -- a field test used to determine if someone is under the influence of a controlled substance. But Groesbeck refused a urine or blood test, and police did not seek a warrant to force the tests.

Lt. Rick Alba said he does not know why the warrant was not sought. He said a warrant is not needed in cases involving felony driving under the influence, but the law differs when a vehicle is not involved.

The police report describes a number of outrageous acts by Groesbeck, including squawking like a chicken and flailing his arms around.

The arrest report details the strange encounter between Groesbeck, 38, and police as they investigated the lewdness charge.

"I'm a cop, look at me," and "Come on mother (expletive). I'll take you and the department down," were some of the statements the report quotes Groesbeck as saying as he lapsed between speaking Spanish and English in the security office.

The report states that three witnesses saw Groesbeck put his arm around a woman sitting at a table and put his hand down the top of her dress.

Paris was notified by security of the alleged incident between 8:30 and 9:20 p.m., police said. Just after 9:20 p.m. hotel security supervisor James Cross explained to Paris that the woman and her husband, who was one of the three witnesses at the table, wanted to press charges.

Groesbeck was detained in the resort's security office while police talked to witnesses. According to the report, Groesbeck was extremely volatile while waiting for police to interview him, and was yelling obscenities and making little sense.

At one point he reportedly told police to contact Metro Police Sheriff Jerry Keller. "Get Jerry. He's my (expletive) friend. Get Jerry or I'll go postal."

After that outburst, Paris said he told Groesbeck if that was the case he would need to be handcuffed.

A scuffle broke out and Groesbeck put a headlock on Paris before two additional Metro officers, Cross and another hotel security guard were able to cuff Groesbeck.

Paris suffered a contusion in the scuffle and was later treated and released from University Medical Center, police said.

The headlock resulted in a third charge against Groesbeck for battery on a police officer.

In the report Paris says he could not understand why Groesbeck kept saying, "Look at my feet," until he noticed that Groesbeck had his shoes on the wrong feet.

Paris also reported that he interviewed three more witnesses who were all friends of Groesbeck's and said they saw the former mayor at the alleged victim's table, but did not see him put his hand down her dress.

Paris says in the report that from where Groesbeck's friends were sitting, "it does not appear that it would be possible for them to see Mr. Groesbeck placing his hand into (the victim's) dress."

The victim also claims that after Groesbeck groped her he later dropped his pants and made a lewd gesture as she walked across the room.

District Attorney Stewart Bell said he knows of no other problems at the club, which he described as "an exclusive club that is priced in a way to maintain class and exclusivity. I would think it would be rare to have a problem there."