Jury convicts Sallisaw man on 4 charges

Sequoyah County jurors on Nov. 20 convicted a Sallisaw man who was involved in a high-speed chase and collision in Muldrow in April.

Ethan E. Branham, 31, who was charged in Sequoyah County District Court with assault and battery with a deadly weapon, endangering others while eluding/attempting to elude police officers, littering the highway, and operating vehicle with expired/improper tag/decal will next appear in court on Jan. 6, 2025, for sentencing.

A jury trial was held last week before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters. Assistant District Attorney Stacey Slaughter prosecuted the case. After hearing the evidence presented at the trial, jurors found Branham guilty and recommended that he serve 20 years in prison on each count.

On April 13, 2024, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy Shane Petree and Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Devin Harriman attempted to arrest Branham, on multiple outstanding felony warrants.

According to authorities, when Harriman attempted to perform a traffic stop, Branham refused and increased his speed. Harriman followed and witnessed Branham driving recklessly, going over blind hills and driving on the wrong side of the road at speeds over 100 mph.

Harriman, fearing for the safety of others, determined that he needed to attempt a tactical vehicle intervention to stop the pursuit. His first attempt was unsuccessful, but on his second attempt, Branham braked suddenly and collided with the trooper’s unit.

Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane said multiple agencies teamed up to locate and arrest Branham, including the Sheriff’s Office; Oklahoma Highway Patrol; Roland, Sallisaw and Muldrow Police Departments, Cherokee Nation Marshals, and District 27 Drug Task Force.

“This man’s actions endangered not only the lives of law enforcement officers, but also the lives of ev- ery other person along those roads,” said District 27 District Attorney Jack Thorp. “I am grateful for the dedication and hard work of the deputies and troopers who helped to locate and arrest this individual.”

“I want to thank the jurors for their service,” Thorp said in addition. “Serving on a jury can be a difficult thing to do, but these jurors did their duty well. They were diligent, paid attention to all of the evidence presented, and reached a just verdict.”