Former Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate and CNN commentator Andrew Gillum was found inebriated at a suspected crystal meth incident at a Miami Beach hotel early Friday morning, according to a police report.
Police officers discovered Gillum “under the influence of an unknown substance” after arriving on the scene to respond to a cardiac arrest emergency. One of Gillum’s friends, Travis Dyson, was being treated for a possible drug overdose by fire rescue officers when the police arrived, the report states.
A third individual, Aldo Mejias, called the police after he observed Dyson having difficulty breathing and Gillum allegedly vomiting inside the hotel bathroom. Gillum was unable to speak with police officers “due to his inebriated state,” according to the report.
The police officers reported they observed “three small clear plastic baggies containing suspected crystal meth” inside the hotel room.” The “suspected narcotics” were impounded at a Miami Beach police station for destruction.
#BREAKING: Andrew Gillum was in an “inebriated state” on scene of “possible drug overdose” at Mondrian South Beach Hotel early this morning with “clear plastic baggies containing suspected crystal meth,” according to @MiamiBeachPD report pic.twitter.com/4tWzkdU4GL
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) March 13, 2020
Gillum was in a stable condition when fire rescue officers responded to the hotel later Friday morning for a welfare check. He was allowed to return to his residence without incident, according to the police report.
Miami Beach Police Department spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the incident is not being investigated as a criminal matter at this time. (RELATED: Amid FBI Probe, Andrew Gillum Finds New Job At CNN)
Gillum acknowledged in a statement Friday he was in Miami for a wedding celebration Thursday evening but denied he had ever used methamphetamines.
“While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines,” Gillum said. “I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused for our movement.”
However, Gillum’s friend Dyson told the Miami New Times on Friday that the former gubernatorial candidate made no mention of a wedding.
“I personally was not celebrating a wedding. I don’t know if [Gillum] was in town for a wedding. He did not mention that,” Dyson told the outlet during a phone call.
“We’ve been friends for a while,” he added before going silent. The New Times reported that Dyson did not answer any of its subsequent calls.
Gillum lost a close gubernatorial race in Florida to Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018. Gillum’s candidacy was dogged by allegations he violated state ethics laws during his tenure as mayor of Tallahassee.
This post has been updated with comments Travis Dyson gave to the Miami New Times.
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