Andrew Gillum Tied to Suspected Meth Overdose Incident in Miami Beach Hotel: Police
Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was allegedly involved in a suspected crystal meth overdose incident at a Miami Beach hotel room early Friday morning, according to a police report obtained by several local news outlets.
Two officers responded to reports of cardiac distress Friday morning at the Mondrian South Beach hotel, where they found a man being treated for a possible overdose. Gillum was also in the room, along with another man, according to a police report obtained by The Daily Beast.
“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends,” Gillum said in a Friday statement obtained by The Daily Beast. “While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”
“I’m thankful to the incredible Miami Beach EMS team for their efforts. I will spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time,” he added.
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According to the Miami Beach Police Department report, two officers responded to reports of cardiac distress at the hotel just before 1 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Miami Beach Fire-Rescue already on the scene and treating Travis Dyson, 30, for a “possible drug overdose.”
Dyson, who was in stable condition, was later transported to “Mount Sinai for further medical treatment,” the report states.
Aldo Mejias, who initially called police, later said that he arrived at the hotel room shortly after 11 p.m., where he discovered Dyson and “Andrew Gillum inside the room under the influence of an unknown substance.”
Mejias said Dyson opened the door but immediately “collapsed in a prone position” near the bed and started to vomit, the report says. Gillum, 40, was seen inside the bathroom vomiting. When Dyson started having “trouble breathing,” Mejias, 56, said he started to perform CPR and called authorities.
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“Inside of the hotel room, officers observed in plain sight three small clear plastic baggies containing suspected crystal meth on both the bed and floor,” the report says.
When officers tried to interview Gillum about the incident, the report states the former candidate “was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state.” He left the hotel room and returned home without incident.
A Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson told The Daily Beast Friday's “incident is not being investigated as a criminal matter.”
Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor and current CNN commentator, burst onto the national stage in 2018 as the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Florida. Gillum lost the race to Republic Gov. Ron DeSantis by less than 34,000 votes.
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