SAN FRANCISCO—On July 18, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced that Melthon Branch, 35, was charged with multiple felonies in connection to an incident on July 13, where an elderly person was seriously injured on Powell Street.
The District Attorney’s Office moved to have Branch held in custody pending trial without bail due to the public safety risk he poses. He is charged with evading an officer causing serious bodily injury (VC 2800.3(a)), leaving the scene of an accident (VC 20001(a)) with an allegation that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim, elder abuse (PC 368(b)(1)) with an allegation that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim and that he personally used a deadly weapon. He is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon (PC 245(a)(1)), battery with serious bodily injury (PC 243(d)), evading an officer against traffic (VC 2800.4), and possession for sale of methamphetamine (H&S 11378).
According to court documents on July 13, at approximately 8:26 p.m., police saw the defendant riding an electric scooter on the north sidewalk of Ellis Street towards Jones Street. The officer recognized Branch from prior contacts and knew that he had an outstanding U.S. Marshals Service warrant for his arrest. The officer activated his lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop and used his public address system to order Branch to stop.
Allegedly, he ignored the officer’s orders and fled riding his scooter on the sidewalk where pedestrians were walking and into the roadway in busy traffic. Allegedly, he then drove his scooter the wrong way for several streets, violating multiple traffic signals along the way. Pedestrians had to move out of Branch’s way to avoid being struck by him as he weaved in and out of the street and sidewalks. Allegedly, as Branch was fleeing northbound on the west sidewalk of Powell Street approaching O’Farrell Street, he drove onto the sidewalk and struck a 72-year-old female with the front portion of the electric scooter. The impact caused the defendant and the victim to be thrown to the ground. The elderly victim sustained a fractured elbow and a broken wrist requiring surgery.
Immediately after the collision, the defendant allegedly stood up and fled on foot, running towards the 200 block of O’Farrell Street, where he dove under a table where restaurant customers were eating and was taken into custody by San Francisco Police Department.
When he was arrested, officers seized suspected methamphetamine, over $2,000 in cash, narcotics paraphernalia, a digital scale, unused packaging including Ziploc baggies, and three credit cards with other people’s names.
The SFPD is still investigating the case. Anyone with details should contact the Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.
