Photo of cop parking in handicap space prompts police probe

LAFAYETTE, IN (KTRK) -- A photo of a man on a scooter sitting next to a police car in a handicap parking space has prompted a police internal investigation in Indiana.

The Facebook user says in the post, "I believe this is called abusing your power. Parking in a handicap spot when your not handicap and now my father had to park further from the door than he already had to."

The photo, posted to Reddit this week, went viral and received thousands of comments and views on various social media sites, with many wondering why the police car was parked in the designated space.

Reddit user Susan Dyer told BuzzFeed the photo was originally posted on her local community's Facebook page in Lafayette, Indiana.

After the photo was posted, the Layfayette Police issued a statement saying they were investigating. The statement said in part, "It was incredibly disappointing to see the image and embarrassing to our agency. Outside of an officer responding to the business for life-saving action, there is no reason for a police car to be parked in that spot, period."

Police say the officer made a mistake and didn't see the handicap markings on the ground, and that the IHOP parking space lacked a vertical sign and other markings required under Indiana law.

Flannelly said that no vehicle, whether belonging to a police officer or private citizen, would have been ticketed for using the space.

He said, "The officer's actions were determined to be an honest mistake."