NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A parking dispute has led to the ombudsman in a South Carolina municipality being charged with defacing a city councilman's car with a key.
James Bell of North Charleston was allegedly angry because Councilman Bob King parked his SUV in the ombudsman's marked parking spot, the Charleston Post and Courier reported. He was charged after police set up a video camera in an effort to find out who had keyed King's car a week earlier.
King said the first time his car was damaged he had parked in Bell's spot on two days when he knew the ombudsman was not working.
Bell denies scratching the SUV deliberately, arguing that what the videotape shows is that he leaned over to check the license plate number.
The tape was released to the news media after a Freedom of Information Act request. Bell's lawyer said he would ask to have the charge dismissed on the grounds that a fair trial is impossible now.
