A Chicago woman was arrested over the weekend for trying to run over a police officer in a parking lot after the officer discovered she was illegally using a handicap placard to obtain preferred parking, police said.
Penelope Jackson, 47, of the 6400 block of South Bishop Place was shopping at the Burlington Coat Factory on Cicero Avenue when police received word that an able-bodied motorist might be parked in a space for handicap use.
The officer was investigating when Jackson walked up to her vehicle and began to yell, Burbank police said. She jumped into the vehicle, put it in reverse and sped towards the officer, who jumped to avoid being hit.
The woman was subsequently arrested for assault to a police officer and the improper use of a handicap-parking permit, according to a police report.
“We are stepping up our handicap parking enforcement along our shopping corridors especially during the holiday season when the parking lots are going to be even more crowded,” said Capt. Joe Ford, who added that handicap parking violations can result in fines of up to $500. The ticket for Jackson’s parking violation, however, would have cost $150, he said.
Police traced the handicap placard to its proper owner, who said it had been lost. The owner did not know Jackson, police said.