Towing Fee Dispute Spurs Physical Altercation, Police Say

A dispute over a towing fee sparked physical altercation Monday morning at Ajaco Towing on South Edwards Road, Parsippany Police said.

After checking for outstanding warrants of those involved, Shamar Green, 27, of Montclair, was arrested. Green had a total of $1,580 in outstanding warrants from Montclair, North Plainfield, Kearny and Union. He was brought to police headquarters, processed and released after posting bail, police said.

When Patrol Sgt. Richard Davis and officers Steven Miller, Gerrit Tosh, Gregory Lowe and William Stone arrived at Ajaco at about 10 a.m. The customers involved in the dispute were attempting to flee, according to Officer Remo D’Alessandro, community relations officer.

Stone stopped the car whose occupants told him there was a physical altercation between the 25-year-old driver, of Newark, and an Ajaco employee, 39, over a towing fee disagreement, police said.

The people in the car said the employee “was the aggressor and turned the argument physical,” according to the release.

Police said the employee told Stone the disagreement became physical after the driver “became irate over the towing charge and kicked the employee in the leg.” The employee then called police as the driver and his acquaintances tried to flee, police said.

There were minor injuries for both parties and when Parsippany Ambulance EMS 1 arrived, medical attention was refused, police said.

The driver and employee were advised to go to court if they wanted to pursue assault charges against the other. A Parsippany man, 34, and Newark man, 27, were involved in the incident but were released at the scene, police said.