A man was shot Thursday morning in Lehigh County when a Pennsylvania State Constable tried to serve him with a warrant over unpaid parking tickets.

The constable told the district attorney he felt his life was in danger as he tried to serve 38-year-old Kevin McCullers.

McCullers, who had 31 outstanding parking tickets, was shot as he tried to back out of his driveway along the 3400 block of Portland Drive in Whitehall Township around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. His girlfriend says McCullers was on his way to Dunkin' Donuts and was surprised by the constable.

"They never knocked on the door. No, nothing. I just heard the gunshots. He pulled the car out of the garage and all I heard were gunshots," said Hafeezah Muhammad, who added that McCullers, who was hit in the back, may not walk again. "For parking tickets? It's insane."

Whitehall Township Mayor Ed Hozza Jr. said McCullers was shot after he allegedly tried to run over the constable.

Muhammad said she recognized the constable, who was accompanied by another man, from his previous attempt to serve the shooting victim with a warrant for unpaid tickets.

District Attorney Jim Martin said the shooting could have been avoided if McCullers had entered into a payment plan, but also raised concerns about the training for elected constables in Pennsylvania.

"Although they receive training, they really operate under no one's direct supervision," Martin said. "And that I wish was something that could be cured."