Meter Man Meets Gunfire

Dallas man fires at utility worker replacing meter

Police say an elderly Dallas homeowner opened fire on an electric utility employee replacing meters after suspecting the worker was trying to break into his home.

It was one of two incidents involving Oncor workers on Tuesday.

According to a Dallas Police Department statement, the Oncor utility worker was hit by flying splinters Tuesday morning when one of the shotgun rounds hit a wooden post. Paramedics examined the worker, but he wasn't taken to a hospital.

Police said the worker knocked on the 79-year-old man's door but got no answer. He went to the rear of the house and used a ladder to climb a fence to get access to the meter.

Police say the homeowner, thinking the worker was breaking in, fired several shotgun blasts through the back door. They're questioning him and likely will refer the case to a Dallas County grand jury.

Oncor spokeswoman Carol Peters told NBCDFW.com an Oncor tree-trimming employee was also assaulted by a resident in the 5400 block of Falls Road in Dallas.

Oncor reports the homeowner backed into the employee who was trimming trees on the property. The worker was not seriously injured and the company does plan to file charges against the homeowner.

The trees did not get trimmed on Tuesday, but Oncor said the trees will be trimmed on another day.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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