The claim by Dunedin man Greg Jordan has prompted Mayor Dave Cull to launch an investigation, but the officer's actions have already been defended by council parking services staff.
Mr Jordan emailed Mr Cull late last month saying he had been knocked out of the way by a council parking officer on a scooter after confronting the officer over a ticket.
Mr Jordan named the parking officer as Greg Watt. Mr Watt was last month blamed by some South Dunedin business owners for a "zero tolerance" crackdown on minor offences and was also named after being assaulted by a motorist in 2008.
Contacted yesterday, Mr Cull confirmed he had asked council staff to investigate Mr Jordan's claims.
"I accept he might have a case on the face of it ... It [the collision] concerns me if it happened and if it was deliberate."
Council parking services team leader Daphne Griffen said she was yet to see any evidence of inappropriate behaviour by her staff.
Parking officers had the right to use their scooters to knock someone out of the way if they felt threatened, and if their passage was obstructed, she insisted.
"It is reasonable and it's no more than any other person would do," she said.
"Irrespective of whether they're an enforcement officer or whatever, they don't have to stand there and wait to be hit."
Mr Jordan said he was trying to hand the parking officer a telephone, and Mr Watt had "no reason to feel threatened".
The altercation began after Mr Jordan's vehicle was chalked, then ticketed, for for being parked over a driveway outside his workplace at Atmos Engineering, in Halsey St.
Mr Jordan believed he had council permission to park there.
Mr Jordan was on the telephone to another council staff member - after noticing the chalk mark on his tyre - when Mr Watt returned and issued the parking infringement notice.
Mr Jordan said he tried to hand the phone to Mr Watt. When Mr Watt walked away, he grabbed the strap of Mr Watt's ticketing machine and again unsuccessfully tried to hand him the phone, Mr Jordan said.
"It wasn't a grab. I just reached out and just managed to get his little strap and say, 'Hang on a minute'."
He said Mr Watt threatened him with an assault prosecution, mounted the scooter and "took off", striking Mr Jordan - who was standing beside the scooter's front wheel - as he did so.
"It was a thump and a push out of the way ... He made no effort to stop or turn away from me."
The incident occurred last October.
Mr Jordan has contested the infringement notice and threatened to take the matter to court.
Ms Griffen defended the officer's actions yesterday, insisting: "He [Mr Jordan] would probably have a different view of it if the parking officer walked up to him and grabbed him by the back of his jersey and swung him around."
Mr Jordan said he had spoken to police but was yet to lay a formal complaint. He planned to contact police again later this month.
• A council parking officer was spotted by the ODT helping an elderly woman who had taken a fall in Moray Pl, Dunedin, about 3pm yesterday.
