Man on scooter faces multiple traffic charges

Marathon – A 24 year old Marathon man is in jail after failing to stop his scooter for deputies, then fighting with them as they attempted to handcuff him.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call at 8:45 p.m. Saturday of a reckless driver on a motor scooter northbound on U.S. One in Marathon. Deputy Christian Galls was at the stoplight at U. S. One and 55^th Street when he saw a vehicle in back of a scooter; the driver of the vehicle flashed his lights and yelled to the deputy that the scooter driver was driving as if he was impaired.

Deputy Galls attempted to stop the scooter as the driver continued on U.S. One to 68^th Street. The scooter failed to stop as it turned on 68^th Street, then pulled into the driveway of a residence.

Deputy Galls got out of his vehicle yelling at the scooter driver to get off the scooter. The driver, later identified as Brandon Smith, tried to take off on the vehicle, but the deputy grabbed him, dragging him to the ground.

As Smith resisted, Deputy Galls struggled with him finally getting him in handcuffs. At that point, Deputies Danielle Malone and Nicholis Whiteman arrived as back up.

Smith refused medical treatment, refused field sobriety exercises and refused a breathalyzer test. He reportedly appeared to be impaired, had trouble keeping his eyes open and spoke with slurred speech, having trouble answering deputies questions.

Once at the jail, because of his impaired state, Corrections officers insisted he be cleared by the hospital before being booked into jail. After he was cleared at the hospital, Deputy Galls was standing beside him opening the door of his patrol car to put him inside when Smith again began to struggle. During the struggle, he kicked the deputy and grabbed for his gun. Deputy Galls got him back under control and transported him to jail for booking. Once at the jail, he continued to struggle and had to be placed in a restraint chair for his own safety and the safety of the officers involved.

Smith was charged with driving under the influence, fleeing and eluding police, resisting arrest with and without violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.