A Kenmore man who beat and stabbed a humane officer for parking on the street in front of his house was sentenced to six years in prison by a Summit County Common Pleas judge Thursday.
McCullen Webb, 33, of 18th Street Southwest, pleaded guilty to second degree felonious assault charge as a repeat violent offender.
In a related matter, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced that an Akron police officer who shot Webb after responding to the call was justified in his actions.
The incident happened March 28 as Humane Society Officer Timothy Harland sat in his work vehicle on 18th Street in front of the Webb home. Harland said he pulled over to make a phone call.
Police said Webb approached the vehicle and struck Harland with a shovel, then used a knife to cut Harland on the head, face and arms. Webb also used a barbell to shatter the vehicle’s windshield.
Webb’s mother, Joyce, called 911 to report the attack, saying Webb had mental issues and was upset that the humane officer was parked in front of the house. Other neighbors also called to describe the attack.
Akron Police Department officers arrived at the scene to find Harland bloodied and Webb holding a knife. Officers ordered Webb to drop the knife, and used a Taser when he did not.
But according to Walsh’s investigation, Webb was unaffected by the Taser and tried to get back into the house. When he could not open the front door, he came off the porch wielding the knife and was tased a second time. When the taser did not subdue him, one officer fired his service weapon, hitting Webb in the leg.
Walsh said the officer “acted reasonably and lawfully” when he shot Webb.
Detectives said later that Webb thought Harland was coming to investigate his house. Webb’s family said he had a history of mental illness and had not been taking his medication.
In an interview with the Beacon in May, Harland said along with several lacerations, he lost a tooth and functionality of his right pinkie finger, which will need surgery.
He returned to work three weeks after the attack, bearing a new scar that extends from the left side of his nose down the side of his cheek.
In May, police presented Harland, who has worked for the humane society for 22 years, with a $716 check to assist with his recovery.