BY DAVID
SMILEY | The Miami Herald
Andrew Gillum, who in 2018 came within 34,000 votes of
becoming Florida’s governor, was discovered by police at a South Beach hotel
early Friday morning in a room with bags of possible methamphetamine and in the
company of a man who appeared to have overdosed on drugs, according to a Miami
Beach police report.
Police say they were called to the Mondrian South Beach
early Friday morning and found paramedics treating Travis Dyson, a 30-year-old
Miami man, for an apparent heart attack. They say two other men were in the
room: Aldo Mejias and Gillum.
Police say Gillum, who was not arrested, was too
intoxicated to answer questions. An offense incident report says that officers
found three clear plastic baggies of suspected crystal meth on the bed and
floor.
Gillum, a former Tallahassee mayor, issued a statement
Friday afternoon in which he denied using drugs.
“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when
first responders were called to assist one of my friends. While I had too much
to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines,” he said.
“I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our
movement.”
According to police, Mejias told officers that he gave
his credit card information to Dyson to rent the room Friday and planned to
meet him later in the day. When he went to the room shortly before midnight,
Mejias said he found Dyson and Gillum “under the influence of an unknown
substance.”
Mejias, 56, said Dyson opened the door to room 1107 to
let him in and then collapsed on the bed. He said Dyson was having trouble
breathing, so he woke him up. Dyson then vomited and collapsed again, so Mejias
said he performed chest compressions on Dyson and then called paramedics.
Mejias told police he saw Gillum, 40, vomit in the
bathroom.
Attempts to reach Mejias by phone Friday were not
immediately successful.
Police say Dyson was taken to Mount Sinai in stable
condition. They returned to check on Gillum, who was not arrested and was allowed
to return home “without incident.”
Gillum thanked Miami Beach paramedics in his statement
and said he’ll “spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy
during this time.”
Miami Herald reporters David Ovalle and
Martin Vassolo contributed to this report.
