Man Resists Arrest Over Fraudulent Handicapped Car Placard

A Whitehouse Station man was arrested after he began yelling obscenities at police officers writing a summons for his wife illegally parking in a handicapped spot at the Somerset Shopping Center.

Patrick Clark, 54, was charged with disorderly conduct at 11:15 a.m. Sept. 24 after he began yelling at the officer who was issuing a handicapped parking summons.

According to Bridgewater Township Police Lt. Al Nicaretta, Clark's wife had parked in a handicapped spot when she shouldn't have because she and her husband are not actually handicapped.

"The person who drove the car and her husband were not handicapped, the placard belonged to someone else," Nicaretta said.

Nicaretta said Clark saw the officer issuing the summons and got upset.

"He began yelling obscenities," Nicaretta said. "He didn't start hitting or anything, he just got agitated. He was put under arrest, and there was no resisting."

Nicaretta said officers are beginning to crack down on incidents of fraudulent uses of handicapped placards, as it has been happening more often recently.

"It is the ones hung on rearview mirrors," he said. "Especially during the holidays, if people can get a choice spot up front [they do]."

"But then they are taking spots from actual people who are handicapped," he added.