Odd Incident involving Emergency Work.. LEO's

[Rpunisher]

Ok so i work for the Utility Company BG&E in Baltimore MD, we are the main energy supplier for Baltimore. We are the ones you call when you have a power outage, power lines down, gas leak ect. So Eariler this week Me and my crew responded to a power outage in Anne Arundel County. Call was for 5 homes without service and the homes are feed from underground cables. Now we arrive on site and narrow down the fault (cable burnt in half) in another customers yard up the street. So I walk up to the home owners front door and tell them who i am and why im here and what were going to do. Mean while the rest of my crew is setting up cones, Utility work ahead signs, and calling in our Miss Utility Ticket. The home owners wife anwser the door and says ok and thanks for letting me know.

So 10 minutes goes by and the husband comes out screaming and grabs one of my guys shovel out of his hand. Well I asked "what are you doing?" and his response is "get the **** off my property now or ill call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing". So my response is "sir were repairing a broken electric line so your neibohors will have electric again". His response is "**** them your not digging in my yard, find another way to fix it". So i respond with "well sir i have to repair it here, we cant have electric cables burning and if you feel the need to call the police then call". He walks back into his home and calls. Next thing i know 5 minutes later AA County police shows up and young officer and tells us since we dont have permission we cant dig in his yard. Now i know in the deed to the homes i have the right to excavate in the county right away. My 2 guys continue to dig and the officer threatens to arrest us. I call my supervisor and a County inspector from AA County (Department of Public Works) and they come out. They are now argueing with the officer about right a way for emergency work. So after arguing a State Police Officer shows up and be-littles the County Officer and we proceed to work.

My question is are Officer informed about emergency work and right of ways when it comes to situations like this? I know its not a common occurance that this happens. Most people understand and just come out and be noisey and ask questions which im fine with.

Thanks for the response and your time.

 

[Iceman II]

It sounds like the young officer got himself in a pickle. If that is where the work needs to be repaired then it needs to be repaired. I know back when I was in construction there was an easment of about 6 to 8' feet from the curb. If it were me I would have to the rude dude to hit the door or I would arrest him for disorderly conduct.
The State Officer obviously knew who to deal with the situation.
I would have your supervisors send some literature to the police department to educate them about these types of emergencies.

 

[Rpunisher]

I kinda figured that he was a "rookie" LEO and i talked to him on the side and let him know the rules and regulations
but he was persistant and rude. I mean ive dealt with many LE agencies different countys' sheriffs, NSA, Seceret Service, State, Federal Wildlife, FBI, and never had any problems.

There has been many instantices were ive had to call in LEO's in order to perform work because of guns be pulled, theft, arguments, finding drugs in light poles, and others things.

I mean no disrespect towards rookie LEO's, so i hope no one takes it that way.

 

[FordSVTFan]

If there is a utility easement then the appropriate utility company that owns the easement has the right to work on it. I hope you told the other homeowners how helpful their neighbor was in almost preventing the repair.

Also, when he grabbed the shovel out of your worker's hand that was a battery.

 

[Rpunisher]

If there is a utility easement then the appropriate utility company that owns the easement has the right to work on it. I hope you told the other homeowners how helpful their neighbor was in almost preventing the repair.

Also, when he grabbed the shovel out of your worker's hand that was a battery.

Its a county easement for all utilitys, 8' of of the curbline. The neighbors seen the whole thing and were asking us why were the police here and we let them know that there wonderful neighbor was helpful.

I didnt know that grabbing a shovel out of someone hand was considered battery.


Also another question i wanted to ask... which i have had happened a few times in Baltimore City in the rough areas we will be working and someone walking by always feels the need to grab something out of our truck and walk away with it. This happened 3 weeks ago a guy at about 11am walked by and grabbed our saws all out of the bin which was closed and walked down the street with it. I knew it was ours because of our sticker and painted bright orange case, I ran up and snatched it out of his hand. It turned into a confrintation but i threatened to hit him with a shovel. Could i get in trouble for this since he stole i retrieved my companys property and he started pushing wanting to fight and i picked up a shovel. I know we should call LE but they cant always get there fast enough. Hard to keep and area with 33,000 volts exposed safe from the public and deal with these problems.

Thanks again

 

[silver03svt]

Its a county easement for all utilitys, 8' of of the curbline. The neighbors seen the whole thing and were asking us why were the police here and we let them know that there wonderful neighbor was helpful.

I didnt know that grabbing a shovel out of someone hand was considered battery.


Also another question i wanted to ask... which i have had happened a few times in Baltimore City in the rough areas we will be working and someone walking by always feels the need to grab something out of our truck and walk away with it. This happened 3 weeks ago a guy at about 11am walked by and grabbed our saws all out of the bin which was closed and walked down the street with it. I knew it was ours because of our sticker and painted bright orange case, I ran up and snatched it out of his hand. It turned into a confrintation but i threatened to hit him with a shovel. Could i get in trouble for this since he stole i retrieved my companys property and he started pushing wanting to fight and i picked up a shovel. I know we should call LE but they cant always get there fast enough. Hard to keep and area with 33,000 volts exposed safe from the public and deal with these problems.

Thanks again

IF I were to show up to an incident such as you posted, I would have told you good job getting your company's property back and hook the theif up. Depending on the value of what was stolen, it was a felony that the theif did. The only other advice I would give you is be VERY CAREFUL because protecting property could be a deadly proposition if the bad guy has a gun and decides to use it on you. At that point, you need to ask yourself "is a piece of replaceable equipment worth my life?"

 

[Rpunisher]

IF I were to show up to an incident such as you posted, I would have told you good job getting your company's property back and hook the theif up. Depending on the value of what was stolen, it was a felony that the theif did. The only other advice I would give you is be VERY CAREFUL because protecting property could be a deadly proposition if the bad guy has a gun and decides to use it on you. At that point, you need to ask yourself "is a piece of replaceable equipment worth my life?"

I know what you mean, were i was (i know you cant be 100% sure) is a "junkie" area. It just gets old to lock each bin all the time or tell someone hey go get me this and heres the keys. Not to mention the BS you hear when you have to report something was stolen off the truck.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Its a county easement for all utilitys, 8' of of the curbline. The neighbors seen the whole thing and were asking us why were the police here and we let them know that there wonderful neighbor was helpful.

I didnt know that grabbing a shovel out of someone hand was considered battery.


Also another question i wanted to ask... which i have had happened a few times in Baltimore City in the rough areas we will be working and someone walking by always feels the need to grab something out of our truck and walk away with it. This happened 3 weeks ago a guy at about 11am walked by and grabbed our saws all out of the bin which was closed and walked down the street with it. I knew it was ours because of our sticker and painted bright orange case, I ran up and snatched it out of his hand. It turned into a confrintation but i threatened to hit him with a shovel. Could i get in trouble for this since he stole i retrieved my companys property and he started pushing wanting to fight and i picked up a shovel. I know we should call LE but they cant always get there fast enough. Hard to keep and area with 33,000 volts exposed safe from the public and deal with these problems.

Thanks again

The intentional touch or strike of another against their will is a battery. When you touch or strike something directly attached (held) to the body it is a battery.

In the specific instance you state you had the right to use necessary force to regain and retain your property as long as it is in the heat of fleeing. In this case, you saw him flee with your property the moment after he took it and you used the necessary force to regain/retain your property.

 

[Rpunisher]

thanks for your time guys...