Police are searching for a suspect who ran over a female traffic officer on Jerome Avenue Friday.

Authorities released a surveillance video showing the man fleeing from the scene after allegedly hitting the officer with his Ford Taurus while she was handing out tickets for double-parking.

The incident happened in front of a church. Congregants say the suspect is a member of the church who was helping to prepare sound equipment for a later service. When someone yelled that parking tickets were being issued outside, the suspect ran to his car and hopped in. The traffic agent, however, stood in front of the vehicle and banged on his window, determined to write out a ticket.

Churchgoers say the man got his car in gear and tried to get through the double-parked cars and a train pole. That is when he hit the officer, witnesses say.

According to members of the church, they have been issued double-parking permits by the 52nd Precinct, so they cannot understand why their cars were being ticketed in the first place.

The traffic officer was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with trauma to her head and fractures to her leg. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.