Resignation demanded for Rhode Island city council member arrested for crack
Luke Gentile
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A city councilman in Rhode Island is being called on to resign after he was arrested Monday when police discovered him passed out and “choking” while holding a crack pipe.
Cranston City Councilman Matthew Reilly was taken into custody following his discovery by authorities around noon, according to a report.
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The 41-year-old Riley was awoken by an officer who shook him, according to bodycam footage of the incident.
“You were literally choking in your sleep,” the officer said. “Someone was flagging me down about it.”
“I have sleep apnea,” Reilly said. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, you have a crack pipe in your hands,” the officer replied.
The councilman denied the notion that he was in possession of drugs, but he told the officer he had smoked before heading into work, the report noted.
Crack cocaine was found in the center console during a search of the vehicle, and Reilly said he relapsed after 13 years of being sober following a “really bad divorce.”
The discovered crack tested positive for fentanyl, and a white residue was coating the driver’s seat, according to the report.
“This is a terrible situation, we’re all in a tough spot, but we gotta do what we gotta do by the numbers. It’ll help you in the end … and you’ll say to us a month from now, ‘Best thing that ever happened to me,'” one officer told Reilly, according to the bodycam footage.
“I look at you; you’re not the Matt Reilly we know,” the officer continued. “Your health and your well-being is worth more than your political career.”
Following his arrest, Reilly has removed himself from his political duties.
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“By relieving himself of his elective duties, Matt will have time to focus his attentions on his personal well-being,” Cranston Mayor Kenneth Hopkins (R). “It will allow him to focus on his family, away from the important responsibilities and spotlight of public office.”
Reilly is facing unlawful possession of crack cocaine/fentanyl charges and is set to be arraigned on June 15.