By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light employee Gabriel Gordon said after he could no longer hold off an angry BPL customer who became physical with him, he had no choice but to wrestle the man to the ground and hold him until police arrived.

A foreigner, Stephen Acres, 58, has been fined and ordered to leave the country at his own expense after he pleaded guilty to causing harm after punching Mr Gordon in the face for trying to carry out a disconnection.

Mr Gordon, who deals with metre inspections, disconnections and reconnections, recalled to reporters yesterday how the incident unfolded.

On October 3, Mr Gordon went to a Paradise Island residence on a routine work order.

Once there he was met by a man and his wife. The woman, he said, was requesting to know information that he could not give her, resulting in her becoming visibly upset.

Mr Gordon said when he again attempted to carry out his duties, the situation got physical.

“I immediately just continued to do my work when I was attacked by Mr Acres and I avoided contact with him for as long as I could for about 50 feet and when I could not I just simply wrestled him to the ground and I held him for about seven minutes until the police came,” the 11-year BPL employee said.

“I really honestly was taken aback by it,” he said. “I was really truly surprised.

“I’ve been in BPL since 2011 and, of course, you’ll get in contact with persons who may have a lot going on in life, but to be physically attacked by someone is something that has never happened to me out there in the field and so it really surprised me.

“However, I am just glad that the situation basically happened the way it did and that police were able to come quickly and ascertain and get everything sorted out.”

Mr Gordon, who has martial arts training and is a personal trainer, said he advises his colleagues to avoid conflict for as long as possible.

“If you have martial arts training (and) you’re working out where you can be able to at least defend yourself to a certain extent and once you can do that just to move out of the situation, out of harm’s way or get to the police.

“That’s the best thing to do,” Mr Gordon said.