Threats to census worker could lead to charges

Published 6:22 am Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A 60-year-old man was arrested in rural Austin Friday evening after allegedly threatening to shoot a census worker.

A female census employee, 46, visited the man’s residence in the 5600 block of 220th Street around 9 p.m. Friday, said Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi.

The man allegedly ordered the census worker to leave his property. When she complied and went to a neighbor’s house, the man followed her there and proceeded to tell her that he would shoot her if she did not leave his property, Amazi said.

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Amazi said the man fought with deputies when they arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and told them that he never talked to a census employee, nor has he ever spoken with any woman who drives a van.

He is being held in custody pending charges related to making terroristic threats and resisting arrest.

Census employees began door-to-door canvassing nationwide earlier this month. They are charged with visiting the homes of residents who did not mail back the 10-question form before the April deadline.