Bylaw officer attacked near Ottawa City Hall after issuing a parking ticket, city says

Bylaw Services says an officer was attacked outside Ottawa City Hall on Saturday after issuing a parking ticket. CTV’s Austin Lee has more.

A Bylaw Services officer was “attacked” after issuing a parking ticket near Ottawa City Hall over the weekend, according to the city and police.

The Ottawa Police Service says officers responded to a report of an assault on a Bylaw officer at approximately 10:40 a.m. Saturday. A suspect was arrested at the scene and has been charged with assaulting a peace officer and uttering threats.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Bylaw and Regulatory Services (BLRS) Director Roger Chapman said there was an incident involving a Parking Control Officer in front of Ottawa City Hall.

“The Officer was attacked after issuing a parking ticket on a nearby street,” Chapman said.

“The incident was an unacceptable, cowardly act of violence and will not be tolerated. Our officers play an important role in upholding municipal regulations and community safety.”

Chapman added, a city employee “came to the assistance of our officer and was able to end the attack.”

“BLRS takes incidents of this nature very seriously and will conduct a full review to determine whether there are any other practices that can be put in place to reduce the risk to our staff,” Chapman said.

“As the incident is under investigation, no further details can be provided.”

Chapman did not elaborate on the extent of the injuries, saying, “We are thankful the injuries sustained by our colleague are not more severe.”

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe issued a statement on social media Monday afternoon, saying he’s “very sad and upset to hear that a City of Ottawa Bylaw officer was attacked while working on Saturday.”

“Our city employees, including Bylaw officers, perform their duties faithfully and serve our community on behalf of all residents, sometimes working in difficult circumstances,” Sutcliffe said. “They have the right to do their jobs without the threat of violence or intimidation. This attack is completely unacceptable. I hope our employee recovers quickly.”

Last October, a Bylaw officer was struck by a vehicle in the ByWard Market.  The Ottawa Police Service said the officer was issuing a ticket when a driver became “uncooperative” and attempted to drive away.

The driver of the vehicle was charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, dangerous operation and mischief to property.