Georgia man accused of shooting at utility workers restoring power from storm

A man has been arrested after shooting at utility crews attempting to restore power Tuesday in Rabun County following the ice storm, authorities said.

Deputies were called about a man “threatening and shooting” at the workers, who were trying to restore service in the area of Bluebird Lane and Old Highway 441 in Lakemont, Sheriff Mark Gerrells said in a statement.

A sheriff’s office spokesperson confirmed the outage was because of the ice storm that led to fallen trees, downed power lines and icy roads throughout the county. Thousands of residents have been without electricity this week.

After an investigation, the sheriff’s office identified the suspect as 56-year-old Bobby Allen Mashburn. He was taken into custody without incident, Gerrells said.

The Lakemont man was booked into the county jail Tuesday on charges of reckless conduct, two counts of terroristic threats and two counts of aggravated assault, according to the sheriff.

“Threats or acts of violence toward utility workers or anyone performing essential services will not be tolerated in Rabun County,” Gerrells said. “These individuals are working to restore services and keep our community safe, and actions that place them in danger are taken very seriously.”

The sheriff said more than 2,250 residents were still without power as of noon Tuesday. That afternoon, Gerrells asked for patience amid a “time of crisis,” and said linemen had arrived from Florida and Alabama to help out. But the process had been slowed as many were forced to cut their way into and out of the affected areas, he said.