LAPD Provides More Details on Alleged Bank Exec Beating

The Los Angeles Police Department's Force Investigation Division is looking into a May 15 incident during which the media director for one of the world's largest banks was hospitalized while being arrested in Highland Park.

Brian Mulligan, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Media and Telecommunications for Deutsche Bank, alleges that he was arrested without cause on suspicion that he was attempting to jimmy open car doors in Highland Park on May 15. TMZ.com reports that Mulligan alleges he was beaten by officers after attempting to leave a hotel room where he was held for hours without being given any information about his arrest.

Mulligan is expected to file a lawsuit of up to $100 million this week, TMZ.com reports.

Lt. Andy Neiman, a spokesperson for LAPD,  said the Force Investigation Division's inquiry is likely to take up to a year to complete.

He told Patch that Mulligan has never filed any official complaint with LAPD, and that the department first heard his side of the story through TMZ.com.

The version of May 15's events provided by LAPD varies significantly from TMZ's story.

According to Neiman, officers first encountered Mulligan at around 10:40 p.m. after being called to the Jack in the Box restaurant at 4470 Eagle Rock Boulevard, where Mulligan was allegedly attempting to open the doors of cars that were passing through the drive through.

Neiman said that officers on the scene reported that Mulligan appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A Drug Recognition Expert was called to the scene to conduct a field sobriety test, which showed that Mulligan did not appear to have any drugs in his system.

Officers then took Mulligan to his car, Neiman said, where they found a large sum of cash. The officers then conducted a money count, Neiman said, which is a standard procedure meant to preclude any accusations of theft.

Mulligan was not arrested, Neiman said, and was taken to the Highland Hotel to rest after complaining of exhaustion.

"That was the last of that incident," Neiman said. 

Police then encountered Mulligan again at about 1 a.m. while responding to a traffic collision near Lincoln and Eagle Rock Boulevards.

"Officers saw Mulligan running through traffic and again attempting to open car doors," Neiman said.

When officers approached Mulligan, Neiman said Mulligan "took a fighting stance and charged officers. In controlling him, categorical use of force was employed."

LAPD defines categorical use of force as any use of force that results in the hospitalization of a person.

Neiman said the Force Investigation Division is tasked with determining if that the officer's use of force was necessary.