Girard man sentenced for assaulting cop

Staff report

WARREN

William J. Exline of Girard will spend the next eight years in prison for fighting with a Girard police officer who was trying to arrest him, cutting the officer with a knife and trying to steal his gun in the process.

Exline, 31, of Skoplee Street, pleaded guilty Friday morning to felonious assault and aggravated robbery in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Neither he nor Officer Tim O’Leary made a statement to the court before sentencing, with O’Leary giving firm “yes sir” answers to the questions posed to him by Judge Andrew Logan.

Exline, whose attorney requested evaluations to determine whether Exline was sane and competent to stand trial, came to police attention twice in three days.

On May 2, Exline threatened a neighbor and a relative on Skoplee with a hammer, which resulted in an arrest warrant being filed.

Officers were called to Skoplee again May 4 for a man beating on a door and found Exline, but Exline fled on foot.

Officer O’Leary caught Exline in a field a short distance away, but in the struggle, Exline cut O’Leary on the side of the face and ear with a knife.

O’Leary received stitches for the cut at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

The court found Exline competent to stand trial.