TORONTO - A 67-year-old man is accused of attacking a parking enforcement officer in north Etobicoke, Ont., over the holiday weekend.

Toronto Police said the officer was in the midst of ticketing a vehicle around 7:20 p.m. Saturday when the accused came out of a house and assaulted him.

"The officer was on patrol and spotted a truck that was parked illegally," Const. Tony Vella said Tuesday. "As he was writing the parking ticket, this guy came out of a house on the street, walked up and just punched him in the face without saying a word."

The officer was knocked to the ground.

"He has a sore jaw but he'll be okay," Vella said.

Police responded to the attack and located the man driving the truck nearby.

Staford Wright, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with assault. He's expected to appear in court on Oct. 11.

"This man's has gone from having to deal with a simple ticket to facing a criminal charge because of his (alleged) actions," said Vella, who advised other motorists not to let their emotions get the better of them. "It's just not worth it," he said.

Vella said PEOs endure all sorts of verbal abuse on a regular basis and he urged drivers to keep in mind that they are just doing their job.

"It's a difficult job," he said. "If not for them there would be chaos on the streets." chris.doucette@sunmedia.ca