Mulligan Lawyer Denies Bath Salts Claim

The lawyer for a La Cañada-based bank executive who is suing the Los Angeles Police Department for use of excessive force says his client was not high on bath salts on the night he was arrested, despite an LAPD police report that claims he admitted to using the drug.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that J. Michael Flanagan, attorney for Brian Mulligan, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Media and Telecommunications for Deutsche Bank, disputes the claim that his client told officers he had ingested bath salts before being arrested in Eagle Rock on May 15.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that bath salts act "contain various amphetamine-like chemicals" and can lead to erratic behavior and intense cravings.

According to a police report released to CBS Los Angeles, Mulligan admitted to officers that he had ingested "white lightning," which is a one of several street names for the newly popular drug.

From Bloomberg Businessweek:

Officers who filed the report made up the story to justify their May 15 beating of Brian Mulligan [...] Flanagan said today in an interview.

“They concocted a story to justify the unmerciful beating that they gave him,” Flanagan said.

Mulligan is seeking $50 million in damages from LAPD and the city of Los Angeles. He claims he suffered a broken shoulder and 15 facial fractures after officers arrested him without cause and then held him for four hours in the Highland Hotel.

LAPD Lt. Andrew Neiman offered a different version of events to Patch, saying Mulligan was only subjected to "categorical use of force" after he lunged at offers who were responding to a call about him harassing motorists near Eagle Rock and Lincoln Boulevards.

Patch was unable to contact Neiman on Thursday afternoon for a followup comment.

You can read both LAPD's and Mulligan's full accounts here.