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Police: Man attacked driver with wooden stick because he parked too close at gas station

Seattle police vehicles, file photo

SEATTLE — Prosecutors said a man was charged with assault after he hit a man in the head because the victim was parked too close to his car.

Seattle police said that on July 20, the victim was inside the 76 gas station at 351 Broad Street near the Space Needle, when he saw a man retrieve a 2-foot-long wooden stick from a Nissan Sentra and start to swing it at the victim’s truck.

When the victim walked outside to see if there was any damage to his truck, the suspect, later identified as Case Steven Van-Batavia, told him he was upset because the victim had parked too close to his Sentra.

The victim told Van-Batavia he didn’t want any trouble and planned to move his truck.

As the victim approached his truck, Van-Batavia hit him on the back of the head with the stick, the King County prosecuting attorney’s case summary said.

The victim was admitted to the hospital for a hematoma behind his left ear and bleeding on his brain.

Responding officers said they found Van-Batavia walking eastbound on Denny Way while swinging the wooden stick.

When Van-Batavia was ordered multiple times to drop the stick, he ran toward officers and swung the stick, causing damage to a patrol vehicle, court documents said.

Van-Batavia was arrested and later charged with third-degree assault.