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Man arraigned after biting cop, trying to take his gun
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A man on probation on resisting arrest and drug charges is charged with biting a police officer Tuesday and trying to take his gun.
William Sullivan, 27, of West Evergreen Avenue, was arraigned Wednesday before Magistrate Anthony Sertick on charges of resisting arrest, aggravated robbery, possession of marijuana and felonious assault of a police officer. Judge Robert Milich set his bond at $100,000.
Reports said officers pulled over a car about 5:35 p.m. driven by Sullivan in the 500 block of West Evergreen Avenue 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 for his injuries. Officer James Welch was treated at the scene for cuts and bruises.
This is not the first time Sullivan has been charged with resisting arrest.
In July 2016, he was arrested after police were called to West Warren Avenue to investigate a complaint of a man selling drugs out of his car, and he ran from police.
Officers chased him on foot until he got his pants stuck while trying to climb a fence in the 500 block of West Evergreen.
The officers saw him take a plastic bag out of his pocket, later found to have six doses of suspected heroin, and throw it on the ground.
The officers grabbed Sullivan but couldn’t keep him under control, and he grabbed the bag and put it in his mouth. He would not allow police to cuff his hands, and he wouldn’t spit out the bag, so after several warnings, he was shot with an electronic stun weapon.
He still refused to stop resisting or spit out the bag, so he was stunned again and then spit the bag out, reports said.
Sullivan still struggled, however, and picked the bag up again and put it in his mouth. He had to be stunned again before he spit it back out for good and was handcuffed.
When police searched him, they found $1,404 cash and they also found two pills in the street next to his car.
He pleaded guilty Jan. 31 in that case in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to possession of heroin, aggravated possession of drugs and resisting arrest and was sentenced to probation.