CEDAR CITY – Yesterday at approximately 8:12 a.m. offficers from the Cedar City Police department were summoned to an apartment complex at 468 South and 75 West in reference to an assault in progress.
On arrival, officers found Brandon Thomas Sappington, 30, who appeared to have blood on his hands, Cedar City Police Admin. Sgt. Jimmy Roden said in a statement released yesterday. They then found the victim, Bryan Mahue Mellor, 59, severely injured on the sidewalk with serious injuries including a large laceration on his head.
Once taken into custody, Sappington tried to kick and head-butt the officers while in handcuffs, Roden said. He placed one of his hands into his pocket as he approached the officers, refused to remove his hand from his pocket and continued toward the officer after being told to stop. Police arrested Sappington on scene.
EMS personnel transported Mellor to Valley View Medical Center in Cedar City, Roden said, and he was later airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He remains at UMC where he is listed in critical condition and on life support systems.
Based upon eyewitness testimony as well as physical evidence, police believe Sappington repeatedly kicked and stomped Mellor while he was on the sidewalk, Roden said in today’s statement. The motive for the assault on Mellor is unknown, but the two were reportedly acquaintances.
At the completion of the investigation, Sappington was booked into the Iron County Correctional Facility on charges of Attempted Murder, Assault on a Police Officer, Interference with an Arrest, and a Misdemeanor traffic warrant. Attempted Murder is a felony of the second degree.
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