Local woman uses gun to stop worker from installing smart meter

[SecularMotion]

HOUSTON – Thelma Taormina didn’t want a new electric meter, and she went to great lengths to keep her old one.

When a worker showed up at her northwest Harris County home to install a smart meter, she grabbed her gun.

"He just kept pushing me away," the 55-year-old Taormina, who is licensed to carry a weapon, said. "He saw it, and went back the other way."

CenterPoint Energy has nearly completed installing more than 2 million smart meters in the Harris County area.

http://www.khou.com/news/Harris-County-woman-uses-gun-to-stop-worker-from-installing-smart-meter-162948266.html

[CBGLuthier]

1. Why was this NUT not ARRESTED?

I got news for the crazy lady she does not own the meter and she does not get a choice. They should yank her meter and tell her to rub two sticks together.

[Walk away]

2. Why do you want to mess with this womans 2nd amendment rights??...

..to wave a gun around and threaten everyone???
I imagine that there are retirement communities fill with armed and cranky old people in Red States all across the country. Don't let little Jimmy play on their lawns!!!!!

[Hoyt]

5. It's quite dangerous in the Alzheimer's facilities here.

Seriously, I had to take away my father-in-laws guns when effects of dialysis treatment and dementia caused him to believe caregivers were ghosts, grim reapers, etc.

There are lots of gun owners on prescription drugs that impair their judgement.

[Walk away]

13. As far as can tell... about one half of the United States has bad judgement!

That's a lot of fucked up people with guns

[Hoyt]

15. Exactly, and to make a few liberal gun owners happy, we have to allow bigots to carry anywhere they

want, and intimidate just about anybody they want with their guns and bigotry.

[Walk away]

17. I believe the deadliest thing anyone should own is a NY cheesecake....

Why can't people feel safe and happy with indulgent deserts? I find gun owners to be unattractive.

[permatex]

18. Do you honestly think

that we give a damn what you think of us? Your ego outweighs your judgement.

[Walk away]

19. You are correct! I don't give a damn what you think about me:-)

I think your ego outweighs reality! Just because having gun makes you feel important doesn't make it so

[permatex]

20. Your perception of me is so way off

its funny.
good day to you.

[oneshooter]

22. So you are wanting to kill me

I am a diabetic.

[Tejas]

10. Arrested for what?

What crime did she commit?

[slackmaster]

3. Her license to carry a gun is not relevant to the story

Given that she was on her own property.

"Our constitution allows us not to have that kind of intrusion on our personal privacy,"

She waived that right when she signed the contract to have electric service at her home. The power company has the right to enter her property at any time to service the hardware that it owns.

[Hoyt]

6. It is relevant because she is likely a toter in public places too.

[jeepnstein]

7. It's relevant, and going to be revoked.

Pulling a gun on the power company is generally frowned upon in most jurisdictions. She'll catch a charge on that one.

[slackmaster]

8. Do you believe that she wouldn't have pulled the gun on the dude if she didn't have that license?

Yes, of course it will be revoked but even that probably won't matter because she's likely to be incarcerated anyway.

[jeepnstein]

12. She was at home.

The license is irrelevant. It doesn't magically grant legal authority to go waving the gun around. I've been on calls like that before and they are never much fun.

[ileus]

4. I bet the also has a bunch of cats.

[Walk away]

14. Dead Cats!!!

[Tejas]

9. Finger wasn't on the trigger = innocent.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/117249228

Our resident criminal apologists defended the idiot in Florida that pointed a gun at a cashier by staunchly pointing out that not only was it a toy gun but that said idiot also did not have his finger on the trigger.

edit: no crime = innocent

[Tejas]

11. The 'reading between the lines' here is sickening.

OMFGBBQ, SHE PULLED A GUN AND JAMMED IT IN HIS CROTCH AND ASKED "do you feel lucky?"



No jury service for any of you wishful thinkers. Where in the article, besides the casual comment by some pencil pusher back at the office, does it say she threatened the employee with a gun? Yes, a technical thing but a huge technical thing. If she had pointed or waved the gun around she would be in jail, no?

[NewMoonTherian]

16. He was on her property and started pushing her around?

He should be thankful she didn't break a baseball bat over his skull. Good for her.

This is one of myriad reasons I'm building my home off-grid.

[DanTex]

21. Yet another "defensive gun use".