Chief Deputy Carl Loney said the office determined a deputy parked in the space while conducting a business-related phone call.
The spot was not properly marked since it lacked the proper signage required under Ohio Revised Code, Loney said. The deputy failed to notice the handicapped marking on the pavement because he was too preoccupied with the call.
The deputy will not be cited for a traffic violation because the space was not properly marked as handicapped using an elevated sign. The Clark County municipal prosecutor's office was also consulted for their opinion on this case, they agreed that no citation was necessary.
But the sheriff's office said that it "recognizes that the careless actions of the deputy may have caused a significant inconvenience for a person in need of a special parking location."
The office apologized for the event, and said the deputy will be disciplined administratively.
"We understand and accept that our personnel are held to higher standard of conduct, and in this instance we failed to live up to that high standard," the department said.
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