Troopers Charge Brooklyn Man With Threatening Electrical Crew

FOX CT ^

[matt04]

Contractors for Connecticut Light & Power Co. checking homes in Brooklyn to see if power had been restored were confronted by an armed man who ordered them off his property at about 10:30 a.m. Monday.

The contractors, who work for a Michigan company, immediately left the man's property and he followed them down the driveway. The contractors then called state police.

Troopers from the Danielson barracks and resident trooper responded and took Kyle J. Wojcik, 30, into custody.

Wojcik, of 1 Bailey St., was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct. He was held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

[Izzy Dunne]

Is Brooklyn a town in Connecticut, or were these electrical guys from Michigan working for Connecticut Power working in New York City?

[agere_contra]

Lesson learned. If you want to carry out a home invasion in Connecticut, just wear an overall from the power utility.

[libertarian27]

Is Brooklyn a town in Connecticut, or were these electrical guys from Michigan working for Connecticut Power working in New York City?

There's a Brooklyn in CT - nothing like the Brooklyn in NY - pretty rural - nice town (east side of the CT river)

CL&P brings in out of town contractors because they get paid by the Federal government (up to time and a half)-CL&P doesn't pay them.

These electric companies (everywhere) have shaved their lineman employees - when a big storm hits - crews from around the country and other countries converge on the storm ravaged area and make their FEMA money for work performed.(channels through their parent companies) CL&P goes all over the country too (and out of the country)

[Venturer]

I must be different from most folks. If I had been ordered off this man’s property after chacking to see if he had his electric back on, I would not have called the cops. I would have cut the line going to his property and let the other lineman know why.

He could get his juice back on next year some time.After an apology.

[Fresh Wind]

I would have cut the line going to his property and let the other lineman know why.

Funny, but I had exactly the same thought when I read the article.

[Ratman83]

I would have asked him if his power was on and if he said yes, then I would leave. Why would you cut his line? He has a right to his propoerty and you as a representative of the power company do not have the right to invade his propoerty if there is nothing wrong with his line. Or do you believe that the power company gets to take the mans property.

[Zeppo]

you as a representative of the power company do not have the right to invade his propoerty if there is nothing wrong with his line

While I don't know whether or not it is the case here, many properties have an easement granted to the power company that permits the power company to install wires and equipment in order to provide electrical service. Such an easement likely also grants to the power company the right to enter upon the property for the purpose of maintaining that equipment.

[libertarian27]

Why would you cut his line? He has a right to his propoerty and you as a representative of the power company do not have the right to invade his propoerty if there is nothing wrong with his line.

You have to check to see if they have power and check the line to see if it's safely/correctly attached to the house. There could be back yard wires on the property too - these contractors are from out of state and don't know the systems ~check everything~

Don't cut the wires - the buckets aren't bulletproof.

[Vendome]

He was within his rights to order anyone off his property and present the means to enforce his demand.

[Ratman83]

,i>While I don’t know whether or not it is the case here, many properties have an easement granted to the power company that permits the power company to install wires and equipment in order to provide electrical service. Such an easement likely also grants to the power company the right to enter upon the property for the purpose of maintaining that equipment.</i> This is true but as I stated if they where there to see if the power is on ask the owner and move on to the next. With major outages the company should not waste time on properties that have power. The article said they where checking to see if power had been restored. Ask then move on.

[Ratman83]

You have to check to see if they have power and check the line to see if it's safely/correctly attached to the house. There could be back yard wires on the property too - these contractors are from out of state and don't know the systems ~check everything~The article said they where checking to see if power was restored so they only had to ask and then move on. If they are checking the line after sopposedly running juice back to the house, then they are doing it wrong. You check the line for damage before putting juice back in the line or you have created a dangerous situation.

[Venturer]

Certainly I do not believe the power company would condone me to cut his power, but when you piss me off there are consequences, and him running me off with a gun after I only tried to help him would have pissed me off.

I wouldn’t have called the cops on him though.

[Fresh Wind]

The power company is within its rights to refuse service to anyone who prevents them from maintaining their equipment. Generally, though, several days written notice is required before turning off the power unless there’s an immediate safety issue.

That’s part of the user agreement that you must agree to when you sign up for electric service.

If this guy didn’t like that provision, he is within his rights to buy a generator or cover his roof with solar panels.

[Ratman83]

Like I said all they had to do was ask, if power is on they move on to the next house. It seems to me that the power company guys most likely through their actions pissed the guy off so he told them to leave and they did not like it so they called the police for revenge.

You on the other hand would most likely have just talked to the guy and there would not have been a problem. I think this was probably a case of the power company guy having a case of power hunger to control the owner. Could be wrong but that is how I see based upon the poor details in the article and past experience.

[Titan Magroyne]

The way this short article reads, the householder got no chance to answer a knock at the door & tell the crew his power was already on, thankyaveramuch.

I’m not saying I’d run a utility crew out of my yard after a spate of bad weather if I could tell from the start that’s who they are, but I *would* take offense upon catching some dude looking in the window (to see if lightbulbs/electronics are on) or snooping around back. Service people tend to assume the resident is away at work by 10:30 AM, the time of this incident. I can see the crew not making the time for the niceties, the resident taking offense at “trespassers,” and everybody’s exchanged too many harsh words to back away from the positions they’ve staked out.

Without more facts, I gotta reserve judgment against the resident.

[Izzy Dunne]

OK, it wasn't clear to me that Brooklyn was in Connecticut.

These electric companies (everywhere) have shaved their lineman employees

Well, a company shaving its workers is just going too far...

;-)

[matt04]

The meter itself and the lines form the street to the house are owned by the power company in CT. The lines on the outside of the house to the panels an meter box are owned by the customer.

Based on the the driveway part, it sounds like they were walking up the driveway to the house to either check the meter or knock when the man puled the gun.