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Man sentenced to two years for biting cop
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A man who pleaded guilty Monday in Mahoning County Common to biting a city police officer during a traffic stop will be in prison until at least October.
William Sullivan, 27, was sentenced by Judge John Durkin after pleading guilty to charges of felonious assault and assault on a police officer. The plea occurred just before jurors were to be summoned to the courtroom to be selected for his trial.
Prosecutors and defense attorney Walter Madison recommended a sentence of two years for Sullivan, and prosecutors said they would not oppose judicial release after Oct. 1, 2018.
Sullivan was arrested May 22 after police tried to arrest him during a traffic stop when they found drugs in a car he was in. Reports said he bit an officer in the tricep before he was taken under control.
At the time, Sullivan was on probation for a similar incident in June 2016, when he ran from police after another traffic stop.
He will be sentenced Jan. 8 on a probation violation stemming from that case.
Sullivan declined to speak before the sentence was imposed.
Reports said officers pulled over a car about 5:35 p.m. May 22 driven by Sullivan in the 500 block of West Evergreen Avenue on the South SIde for an improper turn.
Police could smell marijuana in the car and asked Sullivan to step out. When police searched the car, they found a bag of suspected marijuana and $596 cash and told Sullivan he was under arrest.
Sullivan started resisting and said the drugs were not his, reports said. Officers struggled to get him handcuffed, and during the struggle, Sullivan was stunned but the stun weapon did not work.
Also during the struggle, Sullivan bit the tricep of officer Mike Quinn, reports said, and broke the skin. As Quinn tried to free himself from Sullivan, Sullivan tried to reach for Quinn’s gun.
Quinn managed to stop his gun from being taken, and officer Frank Bigowsky handcuffed Sullivan, reports said.
Quinn was taken to the hospital to be treated. Officer James Welch was treated at the scene for cuts and bruises.
Asistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone told the judge that the plea offer was approved by the victim in the case, Quinn.