ATHENS — The full police report regarding the Sunday arrest of former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch has been released by the Athens Clarke County Police Department.
Branch was arrested on two misdemeanors, one charge of obstructing public sidewalks/streets — prowling and one charge of obstruction of a law enforcement official.
According to the arrest report, obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the incident took place outside of Cloud Bar at 12:18 a.m. The arrest report states that the bar, which lists its hours on Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., was in the process of closing and that the officers on the scene were attempting to clear the sidewalk in front of the bar.
The bar’s website does note that hours can change based upon season, special holiday, or other factors. Athens did have the annual Twilight festival in Athens this past weekend.
After the officer attended to an altercation in front of General Beauregard’s, a bar next door to Cloud, the officer states that Branch continued to stand on the sidewalk without making an attempt to move.
The officer then continued to give Branch instructions to move from the sidewalk and that if he did not, he would receive a citation for blocking the sidewalk.
The report then states that Branch “smirked, then stepped backwards and to the right, then remained standing upon the public sidewalk, so as to obstruct, hinder, and impede free passage upon the sidewalk as well as impede free ingress/egress to or from the adjacent places of business.”
Branch and the suspect responsible for the altercation in front of General Beauregard’s were then both transported to the Athens Clarke County jail.
Per the Athens Clarke County arrest log, Branch was booked at 1:26 a.m. on Sunday and released on $39 bond at 3:44 a.m.
Branch spent one season at Georgia after transferring in from USC. He led Georgia in receptions (81), receiving yards (811) and tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (6). He set a school record for most receptions in a season.
Branch was in town this past weekend to watch Georgia’s annual spring game. Branch’s older brother Zion is a safety on the Georgia team.
Georgia has not offered an official comment on the arrest, noting that Zachariah Branch is now a former player. Branch has not commented on the arrest to this point either.
Branch is expected to be taken in this week’s NFL draft, possibly going in the second round. It will be worth watching whether or not he falls in the draft because of this arrest. He has been viewed as a prospect expected to be taken in either the second or third round of the NFL draft.
