Inset: Brian Papula (Broward County Jail). Background: Cooper”s Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Coconut Creek, Florida, where Papula allegedly struck a pregnant woman with his vehicle (Google Maps).
A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly hit a pregnant woman with his car during a dispute over a parking spot.
The incident took place on Oct. 3 at the parking area of Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Coconut Creek, situated roughly 15 miles from Fort Lauderdale. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the woman mentioned that as she was leaving the restaurant, she needed to transport some items from inside to her car. Her husband had apparently gone to retrieve the car to relocate it to a spot closer to the building.
The woman was occupying the spot when the defendant, identified as 45-year-old Brian Papula, drove up, according to the affidavit. The victim reportedly informed Papula that she was reserving the spot for her husband, but Papula allegedly shook his head and continued to pull forward. The vehicle struck her knee, causing her to step back and lose her shoe, police allege.
“She stated if she did not move, she would have been run over,” the affidavit said.
Paramedics responded to the scene, but she did not need to go to the hospital.
Papula informed the police he moved forward “at a slow speed.” Upon being told by the victim that she was holding the spot, he responded that “you can’t save spots,” the affidavit noted. After parking his car, he entered the restaurant. He denied striking the woman with his vehicle, stating he was “in a rush.”
“Given the distance the victim was standing, it was evident she was pregnant,” police wrote. “The defendant deliberately and intentionally used his vehicle to move the victim aside, hitting her knee to secure the spot.”
Deputies from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Papula on one charge of aggravated battery on a pregnant individual. He was taken to the Broward County Jail, where he subsequently posted a $5,000 bond. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
