In Marysville, a city council member is attributing an alleged assault on himself and the mayor to what he perceives as the state’s overly lenient crime policies. Councilman Dom Belza shared with Fox News Digital that he, Mayor Chris Branscum, Police Chief Christian Sachs, and two congressional aides for Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., were in the downtown area evaluating damage to a recently fire-damaged historic building when they were reportedly attacked on Aug. 22.
Belza recounts that they were simply conversing on the sidewalk near the damaged site when an individual, crossing the street, attacked Mayor Branscum unexpectedly from behind. “We were standing on the sidewalk near the site having a casual conversation. An individual was crossing at the crosswalk. And right as he got to the mayor, who had his back turned, the individual reached back and swung and hit him right square in the back,” Belza detailed. He emphasized that there was no prior altercation or any apparent reason for the punch, deeming it a random act of violence.
Mayor Branscum, shocked by the suddenness of the attack, told KCRA-TV that the force of the hit made him think he was struck by a vehicle. “I was hit so hard. The next thing I know, there’s this guy sliding by me, running, and I yelled an expletive at him.”
Reacting swiftly, Belza chased the attacker, identified later as 36-year-old Derek Hopkins. He narrated the pursuit, noting how the suspect stopped to attempt another punch when Belza was close, which landed on his head. Despite this, Belza managed to tackle Hopkins and hold him down until police arrived. Hopkins faces eight charges, including felony assault of a public official and elder abuse, with his bail set at $50,000.
Belza believes this event highlights a wider crime issue in California, exacerbated by Democratic policies impacting residents and officials alike. “In a bigger light and a larger picture of this whole situation, this is something that we’re dealing with on a regular basis,” he said, pointing to an increase in such violent incidents statewide. He criticized California’s Proposition 47, a law enacted in November 2014 that downgraded certain felony offenses to misdemeanors, attributing it to a spike in crime. Belza specifically criticized Kamala Harris, then California’s attorney general, for championing this legislation, expressing concern over its implications should she aim for the presidency again.
Despite Marysville’s small size, Belza highlighted that the community is not immune to the consequences of such laws, experiencing a rise in property crimes and more severe offenses. He disputes claims of a decrease in violent crime in 2024 in California, citing changes in crime reporting as misleading, with real-world impacts making residents feel unsafe.
