The troubled son of actor Michael Douglas was charged yesterday with buying cocaine from a suspected dealer being tailed by narcotics cops.
Police say they saw Cameron Douglas, 20, and his gal pal, Jennifer Gatien – the blond, blue-eyed daughter of embattled nightclub czar Peter Gatien – get into the car of a suspected drug pusher.
The baby-faced Douglas – a disc jockey at Gatien’s controversial Tunnel club – was charged with possession of a controlled substance and released without bail.
Jennifer Gatien, 24, an independent movie producer, was not charged.
As he left his arraignment, Douglas – dressed in baggy jeans, white T-shirt, blue vest and sneakers – refused to answer questions.
“They are making a big deal out of nothing. Nothing happened. This is retarded!” fumed a woman who answered the phone at Jennifer Gatien’s apartment but refused to identify herself.
Police say they picked up Douglas at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday during a surveillance of 20-year-old Hiro Abreu – who they believe had been selling cocaine out of the popular Midtown eatery Bice, where a manager last night denied any knowledge of the activity.
As they watched Abreu inside the restaurant at 7 E. 54th St., the suspect got a call on his cellular phone.
Cops say Abreu hopped into a 1999 dark blue Acura sedan – which cops later identified as Douglas’ vehicle – and drove to 55th Street and Sixth Avenue, where Douglas and Gatien got in.
Police in unmarked vehicles followed the car to the exclusive Brevoort apartments at 11 Fifth Ave., where Gatien lives.
As the couple – who reportedly are planning to get married next year – entered, cops say they grabbed Douglas and found a gram of cocaine in hispocket.
Under questioning, Douglas admitted he had bought the coke for $60 from Abreu, according to Deputy Inspector Denis McCarthy, head of the Manhattan South narcotics unit.
McCarthy said that as Douglas was booked at the Ninth Precinct, he revealed his father is Michael Douglas – then begged them not to notify his dad, who’s currently in a hot-and-heavy romance with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Gatien refused to tell cops her name – but Douglas later revealed her identity.
“We didn’t arrest her because [Douglas] gave up the fact that he purchased a $60 gram of cocaine,” McCarthy said.
Cops continued tailing Abreu – of 231 Sherman Ave., The Bronx – and later apprehended him at Prince Street and West Broadway in SoHo. He had four bags of cocaine in his possession, police said.
Cameron Douglas’ lawyer Benjamin Brafman said he believes the charges will be dismissed – and hinted his client had been searched illegally.
Douglas was allowing Abreu to use his car because he owed the alleged dealer $2,000, authorities said. They said Abreu lent him the cash after his car was impounded for unpaid parking tickets.
Michael Douglas was out of town yesterday and his spokesman said the star had no comment.