PUNTA GORDA, Fla — Punta Gorda’s City Manager Greg Murray said it was a medical episode, not too much alcohol, that caused him to be removed from a downtown bar on Aug. 2.
Watch Fox 4's Charlotte County Community Correspondent Alex Orenczuk speak to experts about what caused Punta Gorda's City Manager Greg Murray to be removed from a bar:
On Wednesday, Murray told Fox 4 that he was on a new diabetes medication, had low blood sugar and a headache which caused him to act disorderly at Shorty’s Place. Bar staff called the police to have him removed from the premises.
“I do know that I was taking a new medicine and my blood sugar was very low and I had a severe headache,” said Murray.
Fox 4 spoke with Sheryl Peters, the owner of Shorty’s Place, who said Murray hadn’t drank very much while at the bar, which she said was for about two hours - though she would not share the security footage from that night. She said he was acting normally until suddenly he wasn’t.
Body camera footage from when officers found Murray show him appearing to be confused and unstable and was unable to answer questions like who the president was and what year it was.
Dr. Christina Dzioba, a nurse practitioner and associate professor of nursing at FGCU specializing in diabetes, said symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can come on quickly and cause confusion and balance problems.
“Blood sugar is what we use to fuel our brain cells to make neurotransmitters,” said Dr. Dzioba. “So if you don't have enough sugar in your system your brain isn't going to be able to make neurotransmitters and it's not going to fire properly. So, people will look very lethargic, they will look very out of it, they may not be able to string together coherent sentences, they may be sweating profusely, they will look very ill sometimes.”
The incident report from that night states that officers expressed concerns about Murray’s “level of intoxication or potential medical issues”. FGCU’s Dr. David Thomas, forensic studies professor and law enforcement expert said it is difficult for officers to determine the difference between the two during an interaction.
“They can’t,” said Dr. Thomas. “Because the symptoms, being unsteady on your feet and slurred speech, those are very common denominators in someone who is impaired or intoxicated and it's very common.”
Bar staff explained to officers on the body camera footage that the incident began after Murray was in an argument over betting on a game of pool. Murray denied playing pool that night.
“I don’t remember any of that, but I do know this, I don’t play pool, ever,” said Murray. I mean I've never shot pool and still don’t, I have a dog with me and you can’t have a dog’s leash and pool stick in your hand very easily. Could I have seen someone that I thought was cheating at pool and said something? Possibly. But I don’t play pool so I was not shooting pool, betting on pool, I can assure you that.”
Peters confirmed that security footage from that night did not show Murray playing pool. Murray was not arrested and police eventually took him to be treated at a hospital, where he said he was released the next day.
Murray told Fox 4 he was sorry for how the incident looked.
"I'm sorry it happened like that but I couldn't have prevented it no matter where I was because it was a physical thing not because I was sitting around drinking," said Murray.
