An Ocala man who was upset over his electrical services being shut off was arrested Thursday after allegedly making a threat against the utility company.
An Ocala Police officer was called to the City of Ocala Electric and Utility Department, located at 201 SE 3rd St., after a man later identified as 38-year-old Donald Shipley had called to complain about his electrical service not being restored quickly. When the officer arrived, Shipley was on the phone, having called back to complain, an Ocala police report states.
A customer service employee told the officer that she had tried to calm Shipley down and explain to him that the entire city service department was without internet service and nothing could be done until it was restored. The employee said it sounded like Shipley was hanging up but she then heard him tell someone, “Don’t worry, I will just blow up the building” before the line disconnected, the report says.
The officer then got on the phone and as he started to identify himself, Shipley said, “I don’t know who you are or what you think you can do for me.” He then started talking about his frustrations of not having his electrical services restored and the fact that he had two children living in a trailer and it was “100 degrees inside,” the report says.
Finally, Shipley asked when his electricity was going to be turned back on and the officer said he was with the police department. Shipley asked why the police were involved and the officer explained that it was because of the threat he allegedly had made earlier, the report says.
The officer told Shipley that he needed to see him and his children to make sure they were safe due to the hot temperatures he was describing in their residence. Shipley said he thought the phone had disconnected and he didn’t mean what he said. He said he was just “frustrated because he paid his bill and his services were still disconnected,” the report says, adding that Shipley said he didn’t have the “means or intent” to carry out his comment.
Shipley agreed to meet the officer and arrived at the Electric and Utility Department a short time later with his wife and children. He parked next to the officer’s patrol vehicle and was taken into custody by a police sergeant who also was at the location. The officer then spoke with Shipley’s wife and two children and made sure they were healthy and didn’t need medical attention, the report says.
After being read his rights, Shipley said “he had nothing to hide.” He said that he was upset and didn’t understand why his electrical services hadn’t been restored. And he said he was confused as to why he couldn’t speak with the utility’s department manager right away, the report says.
Shipley admitted that he said he “would just blow up the building but thought the phone was disconnected.” And he reiterated that he was “just very upset and meant no harm by his comment,” the report says.
Shipley was transported to the Marion County Jail and charged with making a false report concerning planting a bomb. He was released early Thursday morning on $5,000 bond and a court date for him to answer to the charge hasn’t yet been set.