The arrest was recorded on the police bodycam footage of a Rhode Island city councilman who was found passed out while holding a crack pipe with a lighter.
A police officer found 41-year-old Matthew Reilly sleeping in a vehicle on Monday. He said he had been flagged down by a citizen who noticed Reilly choking while he slept.
Reilly is a city councilman in Cranston, which is the second-largest city in the State.
The officer’s shock is captured on video when he examines Reilly’s ID.
“No way, dude, really?” He says.
Reilly claimed that he has sleep apnea to try to convince the officer to let him go. However, the officer stated on video that he could not ignore the crack cocaine pipe as his bodycam was recording the footage.
Reilly confessed to relapsing when questioned further by the officer. He also said that he just went through a divorce which was difficult. Investigators reported that the vehicle was littered with trash and personal items.
The substance found in his car tested positive for crack cocaine.
One officer was concerned that the white powder on the driver’s side of the car could expose the suspect’s mom to crack cocaine or even fentanyl.
The man was arrested for one count of possessing crack cocaine.
In the end, Reilly expressed his concern that the media might learn about the arrest.
Reilly has resigned as chairman of the Cranston Republican Party. He will appear in court on 15 June.
In a press release, Council President Jessica Marino stated that the charges against Reilly are “very disappointing and concerning” but that he is innocent until proven otherwise.
Here is the video footage of the incident that occurred in Rhode Island.
