Urbandale Man Charged with Choking Iowa City Police Officer Reaches Plea Deal

A former University of Iowa student from Urbandale accused of choking a police officer last year pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Friday morning in a Johnson County courtroom.

The plea deal keeps Plummer out of prison if he abides by all conditions of his probation.

Vanessa Miller of the Gazette reports that Branden Plummer, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of willful injury, a Class D felony, as well as police obstruction, a misdemeanor.

As part of the plea agreement, Branden L. Plummer will receive a suspended prison sentence of up to five years. If he violates the conditions of his probation, he could be sentenced to a correctional facility. He also was given a 60-day jail sentence, with the ability to leave for work or school. He was given credit for the 30 days he’s already served in the Johnson County Jail, meaning he has another month behind bars.

Plummer was a University of Iowa student when he allegedly choked Iowa City police Sgt. Brian Krei until the officer lost consciousness in the early morning hours of Nov. 18, 2011.

Authorities originally charged Plummer with attempted murder, a class B felony, which carries up to a 25-year prison sentence; later, a charge of willful injury, was added, and this later charge was what Plummer pleaded guilty to today.

Plummer, who attended Valley High School in West Des Moines, was a University of Iowa student at the time of his arrest. He is no longer listed as a student in the school's directory.

Chilling police video captured the Nov. 18 incident, including a woman begging Plummer to let Krei go.

Plummer eventually ran from the scene, and wasn't identified until Nov. 30 based on a CrimeStoppers tip.