Watch CBS News

Minister Ticketed While Doing A Good Deed

A minister gave a helping hand in a time of need. And in return, he gets a surprise: a big fat parking ticket.

Suzanne Collins reports it happened during this week's tragedy in which two city people died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Kashi Walker is an associate minister at New Second Missionary Baptist Church on East Lanvale Street. He is always lending a helping hand at the daycare or when there's any need. So when a member of the fire department called him earlier this week when two people died from carbon monoxide poisoning across the street from the church, he raced over to help comfort the victims' families.

"The fire department wanted to get them out of the cold and find a place for them to do crisis management, so we said 'No problem,' said Walker, "I just had to seal off the daycare and I was going to let them up in the sanctuary."

After helping, Walker came out to find a $52 ticket on the church-owned car he'd been driving.

"I was upset for sure," Walker said. "I didn't rant and rave, but I did shake it [the ticket], and I told everybody out here, 'OK, I'll see them in court over this one.'"

The sign says no parking on certain hours, certain days for street cleaning, but the day it happened all the streets were blocked with emergency vehicles.

"Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, city inspectors, BGE trucks were here," said Walker. "It was a mess."

Ironically, the city already gave the church permission to park in the area for two-hour periods.  The problem is poles are to be installed in the sidewalk, and the city told the church its pole drilling truck is broken.

A neighbor says she approached the parking enforcement officer.

"I told her he's the minister of the church and I told her did she see the tragedy that went on? And she said 'I already started the ticket, I can't stop,' "said Latera Williams.

The minister says he hopes the judge will fairly listen to his side of the story in court.

When asked if he thought God will look favorably upon him and the actions he took that day, Walker said: "I think he will. I'm definitely confident and I have faith that he will."

The associate minister says even if it costs money in tickets, he will continue to do good works by responding anytime anywhere.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.