Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Associated Press obtained footage showing a South Carolina official "keying" a councilmember's car over a longstanding argument over a parking space.
"North Charleston Ombudsman James Bell, 65, was arrested Thursday in a SPEED Team video sting and is accused of using a key to scratch the rear end of King's sport utility vehicle in the municipal parking lot Thursday morning," Charleston's Post & Carrier reported on Saturday.
"King said he had parked his automobile about five weeks ago in Bell's parking spot while Bell was off duty for two days in a row," the paper reported. "Both days his vehicle was keyed, he said. That's when he contacted police, who decided to use King's SUV as bait."
Bell said that he didn't "know how this happened" as he waited for his bond hearing, the Charleston paper reported.
"I'm innocent," said the ombudsman who was "charged with malicious injury to personal property, a misdemeanor, and released after posting a $2,087 bond."
