Man pleads no contest to sucker punching California mayor
Yuba City mayor Chris Branscum and Dom Belza
MARYSVILLE, Calif. - A man accused of sucker punching a California mayor and a councilman has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery charges, according to media outlets.
Derek Hopkins, entered the plea in Yuba Superior County Court on Friday, according to the Appeal Democrat.
He was accused of hitting Marysville Mayor Chris Branscum in the back and Councilmember Dom Belza in the face on Aug. 22.
The saga took place in front of the police chief, Christian Sachs, KCRA reported, who jumped in to restrain Hopkins. The three were waiting on the sidewalk before having a meeting with Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa outside the abandoned Hotel Marysville.
The mayor, at age 75, is grateful his younger council member jumped into action, recognizing his role as a citizen first.
"He's a badass. So is the chief of police," Branscum told KCRA. "Dom took him down, and the chief was right there, right behind him. They did a heck of a job."
The Yuba County District Attorney’s Office said that Hopkins pleaded no contest without a plea agreement, and he will face up to six months in Yuba County Jail for each battery offense, the news organization reported.