CRIME Assaulting a cop brings jail term

The judge's message was clear: You hit a cop, you go to prison.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ronald Davis of Youngstown got an unusual lecture from a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge before he was sent to prison for a year.
Davis, 40, of Lilburne Drive, pleaded guilty in September to assaulting a police officer. He appeared Tuesday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum to be sentenced.
When Judge Krichbaum heard the circumstances that led to the charge, in which Davis head-butted Coitsville Police Officer John Gulu on July 21, he reminded Davis of some important information the East Side man must follow in life.
"You don't tug on Superman's cape; you don't spit into the wind; you don't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger; and you don't assault a police officer," Judge Krichbaum said.
The judge admitted he borrowed some of the lyrics from the 1972 hit by the late singer Jim Croce "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" at the sentencing.
What happened
Police reports say Gulu noticed a truck driven by Davis heading east on U.S. Route 422 had only one working tail light and the vehicle was veering left of center.
Gulu pulled Davis over on Rutledge Drive in Youngstown, smelled alcohol on Davis' breath and administered a field sobriety test.
The police officer later tried to get Davis to take a breath analysis test, but Davis refused. Davis also refused to sign the traffic citations against him and became increasingly agitated and angry at Gulu, the reports said.
He told the police officer he was part of a terrorist group and had access to a missile launcher.
When Gulu took Davis to the county jail, he warned the officer "he better not touch him." Upon arrival at the jail, Gulu attempted to remove Davis from the cruiser and began taking him to be booked. It was at that time when he head-butted the officer.