Agree , I'm thinking she was upset and the Deputy moonlighting for the Power Co. didn't like the fact she was actually going to make him work for the money they were paying him and called his buddies.
I used to work at a Car dealership and the owner principle was one of the biggest @ holes you could ever meet but one thing I did learn from him was how to handle irate customers .Let them talk themselves out .The more rabid they are the less they can keep it up and once they've exhausted themselves they become reasonable people again.
I would get that at times as a repairer of office equipment. Someone would pop a cork and climb all over me for no reason other than that I was there. As you indicated, just take it and they will usually apologize later.