Andover driver accused of assaulting Manchester-by-the-Sea parking enforcement cop

An Andover man is accused of assaulting a parking enforcement officer as she attempted to write him a ticket, according to officials.

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said police will seek a criminal summons against the 73-year-old man, whose name was not released. He faces charges of assault and battery on a person over 60 and intimidation of a witness.

Around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday, a Manchester-by-the-Sea parking officer called police and said she had been assaulted while attempting to write a ticket near Beach Street, at the entrance to Masconomo Park. The officer also told police that the suspect was driving away from the scene. 

According to police, the driver had shoved the ticket into the officer’s chest in an attempt to stuff it inside her shirt. Investigators said the driver then tried to stop the officer from contacting police headquarters.

A description of the suspect’s car was broadcast through regional dispatch. At about 3:11 p.m., Middleton police stopped the driver, who agreed to return to the Manchester-by-the-Sea police station.

Fitzgerald said police decided to seek a summons against the driver based on a follow-up interview. The driver’s case will be heard before a Salem District Court Clerk Magistrate at a later date.