Homeless man allegedly ‘sucker punches’ Northern California mayor, councilman jumps in

(FOX40.COM) — The mayor of Marysville in Northern California was reportedly assaulted in broad daylight by someone who was identified as an unhoused man with a lengthy criminal record.

On Aug. 22, Marysville mayor Chris Branscum was with Marysville councilman Dom Belza in the Downtown area when he was “sucker-punched,” according to the Free California organization . Belza is also the chairman for Free California.

“I saw this guy out of the corner of my eye and he was somebody that probably needed to be kept an eye on as he was walking by,” Belza told the Appeal-Democrat Newspaper . “And then he just reached back and hit him (mayor) right in the back and took off running.”

Belza added, “He swung his arm back and gave a good right hook. I was chasing him down, and he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turned, and hit me in the side of the head. Then I took him down to the ground and restrained him.”

The suspect, 36-year-old Derek Hopkins, was arrested an booked into the Yuba County Jail.

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