RIVERTON, Utah — The man shot and killed on Interstate 15 during an altercation with a police officer had previously been charged with resisting arrest, among other offenses.
Riverton police have identified Branden Scott Markham as the man shot following a traffic stop Tuesday on a stretch of the highway in Draper. Markham was a passenger in the vehicle that had been pulled over, and got into a fight with the officer, leading the officer to shoot him. After being airlifted to the hospital, Markham died of his injuries.
Police had been surveilling the driver of the vehicle that Markham was a passenger in before it was stopped on I-15. The driver was also taken into custody on unknown charges.
Court documents show that in April 2019, Markham had been arrested for resisting arrest after police responded to a call that a man had been sending suicidal texts to his girlfriend. When officers arrived at the Pleasant Grove location, they found Markham sitting in his truck with multiple open bottles of alcohol with a "very strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath."
Markham was checked by medics at the scene and ordered to be involuntarily committed to the hospital. When told to turn around and place his hands behind his back, Markham shouted an expletive and began to struggle with the officer.
Man shot, killed after fighting with police officer on I-15 in Draper:
Markham continued fighting with the officer while resisting arrest before he was eventually transported to the hospital. He was later brought to the Utah County Jail, where he was booked on resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct and intoxication charges.
In July 2024, Markham was arrested on theft charges after his ex-girlfriend told police he had broken into her safe and stolen her gun.
Tuesday's incident caused a lengthy delay on I-15 as police and Utah Highway Patrol troopers shut down all southbound lanes following the shooting.
