Wynn Las Vegas exec, Mack aide are arrested

Jen Lawson

Friday, April 29, 2005 | 11:08 a.m.

After the opening of Wynn Las Vegas on Thursday morning, Metro Police arrested one of the resort's executives and his wife, who works for City Councilman Michael Mack, following a alleged drunken post-party confrontation with officers on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Police used a Taser gun on 61-year-old James Campbell as he tried to drive away from the scene of a minor collision in his Porsche Boxster in stop-and-go traffic outside the new resort, Sgt. Chris Jones said. Campbell was arrested for alleged drunken driving and other offenses, Jones said.

Lisa Clearwater Campbell, 47, was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction of police after she allegedly screamed at officers and tried to get her husband out of police custody.

"She began to, in effect, (try to) rescue her husband," Jones said Thursday. "During her incident she identified herself as Michael Mack's assistant."

The incident unfolded at 1:40 a.m., when James "J. C." Campbell, director of compensation and benefits for Wynn Las Vegas, reportedly hit another vehicle while leaving the festivities at the new, $2.7 billion megaresort. No injuries were reported and the vehicles weren't seriously damaged, Jones said.

The driver of the other car told a police officer about the collision after Campbell continued try to drive away. About 20 Metro Police officers were on hand for traffic control at the resort opening.

"The officer tried to stop him and reached into the vehicle and tried to grab the keys," Jones said. "He (Campbell) drove the car forward and because of that action the officer drive-stunned him."

"Drive-stunning" is when an officer presses the Taser directly against a person's body rather than the more common method in which wired darts are shot into the person's skin, administering a 50,000 volt jolt. The drive-stun method gives a more localized shock, not the total body immobilization that occurs when the darts are used, police say.

Last year Metro rewrote its policy on Taser use to discourage officers from using the weapon in the drive-stun mode, which inflicts pain but the shocked person can still struggle, which experts say could result in over-exertion and cardiac arrest.

Undersheriff Doug Gillespie declined to comment on whether this was a proper deployment of the Taser.

"An investigation is done whenever a Taser is utilized," he said. "It's going through the review process as all other Taser deployments."

After that, Campbell cooperated with police, Jones said. He was charged with drunken driving, hit and run, failure to report an accident, failure to render aid and failure to maintain the travel lane, all misdemeanors.

Clearwater Campbell, however, didn't cooperate, police said.

"She began yelling and screaming and saying they weren't going to take her husband," Jones said. "She physically tried to remove him from custody and was placed into custody for obstruction."

Both were taken to the Clark County Detention Center, where they remained until Thursday afternoon, jail officials said shortly after their release.

Denise Randazzo, the spokeswoman for Wynn Las Vegas, did not return phone calls seeking comment this morning.

Clearwater Campbell, a city employee for 10 years, was placed on paid administrative Thursday, according to City Manager Doug Selby's office. She earns an annual salary of $67,839 and works as a community outreach liason for Mack.

Mack said this is out of character for Clearwater Campbell, whom he described as a good worker, a "busy bee who puts her head down and works really hard."

"I've never known her to be any type of drinker," he said. "She and J.C. are really low-key people. It's shocking to me."

He said he has spoken to her since the incident and "she's very upset and embarrassed."

"I hate to see her job in jeopardy. I hope for the best," he added.