He reportedly removed parking tickets from cars, then ran into an officer on a scooter
After removing parking tickets from car windshields downtown, a 53-year-old Bellingham man reportedly jumped on a scooter and ran into a police officer Thursday morning before being taken into custody.
The Bellingham Police booked Melvin Roberts Jr. into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault.
According to information provided by Lt. Claudia Murphy in an email Friday to The Bellingham Herald, officers responded at 11:15 a.m. to the 1100 block of Cornwall Avenue after a parking enforcement officer reported that Roberts was following behind and removing parking infractions from cars that were not his and throwing them on the ground. The responding officer reportedly tried to speak to Roberts, who instead went back inside his apartment complex.
The officer was preparing to leave, Murphy said, when an employee from the complex came outside and said Roberts was “destroying the kitchen.”
Officers went inside, but once Roberts saw them, Murphy said Roberts sprinted out a door to a parking area. When the officer got outside, Roberts was getting on a scooter, which he reportedly started and drove directly at the officer.
The officer jumped to get out of the way, but Murphy said he was still hit by the scooter on his left side.
Roberts had to stop the scooter to wait for an exit gate to the parking lot to open, Murphy said, giving the officer an opportunity to catch up, tackle him and take Roberts into custody.
Bellingham Fire Department medics checked Roberts for injury, and he was cleared, Murphy said, and the officer did not suffer any injuries from the incident.
