Driver arrested for trying to run down Santa Rosa parking officer

<p>A Santa Rosa man, angry over getting a ticket for illegally parking in a handicapped space, ripped it up and drove his car at a parking officer in her small vehicle, Santa Rosa police said.</p><p>The driver stopped within inches of hitting the golf cart-like buggy, Sgt. Mike Clark said.</p><p>Driver Richard Gobeille-Peterson, 24, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and taken to the Sonoma County Jail, Sgt. Mike Clark said.</p><p>Nancy Sala, a senior traffic enforcement officer, wasn't hurt in the confrontation.</p><p>“According to the victim and an independent witness, he got within inches. He rapidly accelerated, aiming the car at her, then came to a stop just before colliding with her,” Clark said.</p><p>“Because she was in fear of her life and his actions were intentional, that met the element of assault with a deadly weapon,” he said.</p><p>Sala spotted a BMW parked in a handicap space in the 1800 block of Mendocino Avenue at about 3 p.m. Monday.</p><p>He showed her an expired handicapped parking placard, which she took from him. Sala then issued a citation.</p><p>“Witnesses heard him screaming at her, yelling at her, profanities,” Clark said.</p><p>After he threw the bits of ticket at her, Sala got back into her traffic enforcement vehicle and headed onto Silva Avenue and began calling police.</p><p>“She did the right thing, backed away from him. She wasn't expecting him to drive at her,” Clark said. “She was calling as it happened.”</p><p>After almost hitting her, the man drove away, police said. </p><p>Sala took down his license plate and told officers, who contacted the man at his home. He was arrested without incident.</p><p>“There's a way to challenge those (tickets), and that's not the way to do it,” Clark said.</p>