NEEDVILLE, Texas — As more than a million CenterPoint customers were without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said Thursday that a frustrated resident threatened a utility worker at gunpoint.
Editor's note: Video above is KHOU 11 coverage of Beryl's aftermath on Saturday morning, July 13.
Saturday, the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office announced a man has been arrested and charged in this incident.
"I commend the Needville Police Department's quick response to the recent threat made to a lineman working to restore power in their city," District Attorney Brian M. Middleton. "The suspect was arrested and charged with misdemeanor deadly conduct."
Middleton said the investigation is still ongoing and the charges could still be enhanced.
"We are all suffering and frustrated. I myself have been without power for days," Middleton said. "But threatening the lineman, or first responders, or volunteers, will only delay your world returning to normal."
CenterPoint has come under scrutiny for its response to the Category 1 hurricane that left millions of customers without power in the Houston area. Sheriff Fagan on Thursday reminded people it's not the linemen working long hours in the heat who are to blame.
“You have to realize CenterPoint calls people outside of the state to help with this emergency. We will not tolerate them being abused, let alone having a gun pulled on them," Fagan said.
By Saturday around 10:45 a.m., CenterPoint was reporting more than 655,000 customers were still without power. Just under 1.6 million customers had power restored at that point.