The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office arrested a Port Charlotte man for threatening utility workers with a baseball bat and trimming shears.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, utility workers were marking locations of underground power lines along the easement on Birchcrest Boulevard when the situation took a dangerous turn at one residence.
The workers were performing their tasks when Lawrence Gallop allegedly approached them, armed with a baseball bat and trimming shears. Gallop, reportedly enraged, shouted at the workers, threatening to hurt them if they did not leave his property.
The workers, fearing for their safety, immediately called 911. Deputies said Gallop escalated his disruptive behavior by picking up a large orange traffic cone and a junction box that were placed on the easement and throwing them into the street.
After retreating into his home, Gallop returned later to throw the junction box into his trash can and hide the traffic cone in his backyard.
When deputies arrived, Gallop was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for threatening the workers. He also faces charges of petty theft after the stolen items—the junction box and traffic cone—were recovered from his trash and backyard.