An NYPD traffic enforcement agent was attacked on the street while working in Brooklyn on Wednesday by a man the agent had recently ticketed for a parking violation — and the suspect fled the scene in his car — police said on Thursday.
The 57-year-old traffic agent was giving out tickets near Avenue U and East 8th Street in Sheepshead Bay around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday when the man, who was driving an orange BMW, approached the agent and began arguing with him over the ticket, according to officials. Then, the man allegedly hit the agent in the face several times before driving off.
Police said the traffic agent sustained swelling to his face and lips, and paramedics took him to South Brooklyn Health Hospital in stable condition. The NYPD on Thursday continued to search for the suspect, who surveillance footage shows was wearing a black hoodie, black sweatpants and black-and-white sneakers at the time of the incident.
Assaulting a traffic enforcement agent became a felony in New York City in 2008, putting those agents in the same category as police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers. Anyone convicted of attacking a traffic agent while they are on duty can be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison under the law.
The NYPD asked for anyone with information about the incident to call its Crime Stoppers Hotline or submit tips online.