John Phillips, a 65-year-old resident of Florida, was recently arrested following an altercation over a handicapped parking space at a local church. The dispute escalated into an assault on a woman, according to reports from local law enforcement. Phillips is facing charges of aggravated battery causing significant bodily harm, elder abuse, and two counts of false imprisonment, according to court records from Orange County.
Phillips was taken into custody on February 10, after an extensive investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred on September 25, 2024, near the St. John Vianney Catholic Church on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.
The victim, who was at the church to pick up her 5-year-old niece, was accompanied by her disabled mother, the child’s grandmother. As they were preparing to leave, their exit was blocked by a large black truck. The woman noticed a man inside the truck displaying a handicap sticker, as per the charging affidavit. In response, the woman showed her mother’s handicap placard.
However, the man, identified as Phillips, was not satisfied. As he exited his truck, the woman moved to prevent him from approaching her niece and elderly mother. The man began to argue that the woman’s handicap placard did not belong to her or the vehicle she was in. When the woman tried to reason with him, he insisted that he had seen her exit a different car.
The situation took a turn for the worse when the man refused to let them leave and threatened to involve security. The woman responded, leading to the man allegedly assaulting her by slamming the car door into her. The woman defended herself by pushing the man away, but he retaliated by punching her in the face and throwing her to the ground.
The victim’s disabled mother tried to intervene, but the man allegedly grabbed her by the arms and pushed her. Surveillance footage supports these claims, showing Phillips blocking the women’s vehicle, pushing the car door into the younger woman, and pushing the older woman.
Church staff eventually intervened, bringing the incident to a close. Both women sustained bruising as a result of the altercation. The family also reported having to withdraw the 5-year-old girl from school. Phillips is scheduled for arraignment in court on February 17.