City of Eugene provides background, statement on parking meter incident | Crime

KVAL News received the following information from the City of Eugene regarding an incident Wednesday involving an expired parking meter:

Background from Police and Parking staff

Yesterday, a parking control officer was out working near 5th Ave. and Willamette. She was writing a ticket on an expired meter. Because it was raining, she was in her cart completing the ticket. A man, Benjamin Burns Bond, parked in an adjacent spot and put money in his meter. 

He then also plugged the expired meter after the ticket was already in progress and was angry when the parking officer placed the ticket on the vehicle. He followed the female parking officer for three blocks in his truck, intimidating and threatening her. She was afraid and took the unusual step of calling 9-1-1 and staying on the line because she feared for her safety. A witness reported seeing Mr. Bond red-faced and animated, yelling and gesturing towards her from his truck.

Two police officers were dispatched, per regular practice because there were two involved parties. However, a third police officer driving near the scene responded because of his proximity and because it is rare for parking control to ask for back up. Mr. Bond was handcuffed at the scene and placed into a patrol car without any resistance.  At  that point, he could have been taken to jail, but police offered him a citation if he would only leave the area and stop threatening the employee. Mr. Bonds then was allowed to go with the citation for Harassment and Obstructing a Government Agency.  Police were not called to respond because Mr. Bond plugged meters. They were called because he was intimidating and threatening the employee.

Statement from City Manager Jon Ruiz

The parking control officer has worked dutifully in this job for 12 years. In those years, she has rarely, if ever, felt her safety to be in jeopardy like she felt yesterday.  I personally spoke with her this morning and she was still upset and visibly shaken by the encounter.  It is wrong and intolerable for any City employee to be intimidated, threatened and prevented from doing his or her work on behalf of City of Eugene citizens.