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A city councilman in Rhode Island was found by police sleeping in a car while holding a crack pipe in his hands.
41-year-old Matthew Reilly was arrested for drug possession after police discovered cocaine and fentanyl.
Police released bodycam footage of the incident involving city councilman of Cranston, Rhode Island.
“You have a crack pipe in your hands,” police told him.
Reilly appeared to have difficulty breathing or was choking, police said.
A passerby tipped police off to a man who appeared to be having a medical episode in his car.
Reilly was found passed out in the driver’s seat.
“You were literally choking in your sleep,” the officer said. “Somebody literally sprinted and flagged me down because they thought you were choking.”
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island, released bodycam footage showing the arrest of Republican City Council member Matthew Reilly.
Reilly told police he was going through a 'really bad divorce' and he had 'relapsed' by using the drug.
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“It was a relapse,” Reilly told police. “I’ve been clean for 13 years.”
Reilly has resigned from the city council.
More on this story via Fox News:
Reilly, who was the chairman of the Cranston Republican Party, appeared disoriented but was polite and cooperated with police as he was questioned. He initially denied having drugs in his car but later allegedly admitted to buying $100 worth of crack cocaine the day before.
— Advertisement — Police said they discovered a “white, rock-like substance” inside a container found in the vehicle’s center console. The substance later tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, according to police.
A search of the vehicle turned up additional drug paraphernalia, including a scouring pad, another pipe and tools used to scrape and prep the pipe, the police report said.
The bodycam footage shows Reilly receiving a medical evaluation before he was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police cruiser.
He was charged with one count of possession of a Schedule 2 narcotic.
“​Early this morning my office assisted Matt Reilly and filed his letter of resignation from the Cranston City Council as the Ward Six councilmember. Matt made the right decision to step down so that he can focus his full attention on his well-being and young family,” Hopkins said in a statement to WJAR.
“With this action, a difficult week for our city has closure and it allows our local government leaders to focus on their responsibilities and mission to proceed without the distraction of this unfortunate personal matter for one of our councilmembers,” the mayor said. “Upon reflection, Matt Reilly chose to put the interests of his constituents above his political interests.”
