A Clark County Park Police officer allegedly threatened a woman that she could go to prison if he did not have sex with her in a casino parking garage.
According to documents obtained by 8 News Now, Wendell Phillips, 38, faces charges of oppression under color of office, misconduct of a public officer, and coercion with force or threat of force, records said.
In October, a woman stopped a Metro police officer near the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Rancho Drive to report the allegations.
The woman told the officer a man "who said he was a state trooper" dropped her off and told her "he was going to get [her] a job and a place to live if [she] had sex with him." The woman said she met the officer, later identified as Phillips, at Sunset Park. Metro police identified Phillips as a Clark County Park Police officer.
Phillips Unzipped His Pants After Driving Around, was Interrupted by Another Detective
The woman reported to Phillips an illegal shooting and domestic battery from earlier in the day, Metro police said. Police later corroborated the shooting east of the Las Vegas Strip, they said.
"She believed they drove around the park for 15 minutes before driving to a 'dune' area of the park, which she described as being secluded," investigators said. "Once there, the officer parked the vehicle and opened the rear passenger door and began unzipping his pants."
However, Philipps was interrupted by a detective, whom he stopped to speak with. He then ordered the woman out of the car and to remain in a different area of the park, documents said.
Philipps Threatened Woman with 3 Years in Prison on Prostitution Charges if She Didn't 'F—k Him'
"The officer came back to pick her up in what she believed was his personal vehicle, described as a white Ford F-150, with a small cab," documents said. "She approximated the year of the F-150 as 2009. She stated he was now wearing a green hat, a T-shirt, and blue jeans."
They then drove to Sante Fe Station, police said. "While driving to the Sante Fe Station, the officer told her, 'You belong to me now, you don't belong to the pimp anymore, you don't [expletive] anybody, you don't suck anybody unless I say so,'" documents said.
Phillips also allegedly told the woman he could get her a job and provide her food and housing, Metro police said. The woman told police the man took a picture of her identification and told her she could do three years in prison for prostitution and theft, documents said.
"The officer knew she had prior arrests for stealing, so the officer told she could go to prison for three years with the information he had," police said.
The two then allegedly had sex in the casino's garage, police said. "The officer told her, the only way to save her life was to 'shut up and [expletive] him,'" documents said. "She stated they had sex in the backseat of his vehicle."
After they left the casino, the woman and Phillips walked around a thrift store near where the woman flagged down the Metro officer.
Victim Said She Had Sex with Officer to Save Her from Legal Troubles
As to why the woman allegedly had sex with Phillips, the woman told Metro police: "He promised me that that if I had sex with him, all my legal issues would go away. I would have to have sex with him as many times as he told me."
Metro police tracked Phillips down with surveillance from the store, they said. Police detained Phillips at his home on Oct. 7, documents said.
During his interview with police, Phillips reportedly said he met the woman at the park and offered her help. Phillips told police the woman pleaded for him to give her a ride. Phillips then admitted to penetrating the woman, documents said.
Phillips Fired from Job, Arrested on the Same Day
Phillips was arrested on Nov. 16. During a hearing the next day, Judge Daniel Westmeyer set his bail at $50,000.
Clark County's Office of Public Safety hired Phillips in 2023, records said. He was "released from employment" on Nov. 16, the day of his arrest, a county spokesperson said.
Phillips posted bail on Nov. 20 and was released with an ankle-monitoring bracelet, records said. His next court date was scheduled for Dec. 27.
