City Councilman Bill Perkins was taken to a hospital Thursday night after police reportedly found him acting erratically.
Police said Perkins was brought to Metropolitan Hospital from his Harlem apartment after they got a call for an emotionally disturbed person. Sources said he was released Friday morning after an examination.
In a statement Friday afternoon, Perkins didn't specify the exact details of the incident, only saying police responded after burning food sparked a fire, which led to "some noise and commotion and a hospital visit."
"I thank the responders for their work and help," he said in the statement. "As a cancer survivor, it's no secret I've been confronting health issues related to medical treatment I previously received. I am working with doctors to manage these concerns. As someone who runs marathons and has overcome obstacles my entire life, I look forward to conquering these challenges and continuing to serve this community I love and have fought for."
Sources said Perkins didn't want to go to the hospital, but there was no physical confrontation and no one was injured.
Perkins first served on City Council from 1997 to 2005.
He then spent 10 years as a state senator before being elected to the City Council again in 2017.
The Democrat represents Harlem, the Upper West Side, and Washington Heights.