Police Release Photos, Audio From Andrew Gillum Hotel Incident

Photos and audio have been released by Miami Beach authorities relating to a March 13 incident involving former Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.

WPLG was one of the outlets that received the evidence, which included photos of prescription pill bottles around the room, stained pillows and bed sheets, and a blood pressure monitor on the floor. Some of the pill bottles were open with pills lying nearby. Police also found small, clear bags containing a substance believed to be crystal meth.

A police report obtained by WPLG documented the mid-March incident. Around 1 a.m. on March 13, Miami Beach Fire Rescue was called to the Mondrian South Beach Hotel after receiving a report that someone may have overdosed on drugs. Police found Gillum and two other men inside the hotel room, one of whom appears to have been nude when authorities arrived. One of the men, Aldo Mejias, 56, told police he gave the other man, Travis Dyson, 30, a credit card to rent the room for the night. The police report said Dyson rented the room at 4 p.m. the day before. Mejias told them that he arrived at the room later that night and found Dyson with Gillum inside, both under the influence of something. The police report said Dyson opened the door for Mejias but then walked over to the bed, collapsed, and began to have trouble breathing. He also vomited on the bed before collapsing again. Mejias began helping Dyson before he called 911.

Gillum, according to the police report, was too inebriated to speak to officers at first. Authorities took Dyson to Mount Sinai Medical Center and returned to the hotel room to speak with Gillum, who by that time had sobered up some. Gillum was able to leave the hotel room and return “to his residence without incident.”

When the incident was first reported, Gillum said he had been in town for a wedding celebration.

“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends,” Gillum said a statement at the time. “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.”

Politico reported, however, that Gillum’s friends said he was supposed to officiate that wedding celebration but he never showed.

Within days of the incident, Gillum announced he was leaving politics and entering rehab, The Daily Wire previously reported.

“This has been a wake-up call for me,” said Gillum in a written statement at the time, according to Politico. “Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse. I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated. I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles.”

“I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future,” he added, according to NBC News. “I want to apologize to my family, friends and the people of Florida who have supported me and put their faith in me over the years.”