Intellectual Property Law

Satellite TV Service Repaired at Gunpoint

By Ryan Singel, Kevin Poulsen, Sarah Lai Stirland, Kim Zetter, and David Kravets

A DishNetwork repairman made the service call of his life Jan. 26, when a 62-year-old Vista, California man met him at his truck with a loaded shotgun and told him to fix his TV and internet service or die.

Gary Thomson was angry that the repairman was late for the service appointment set for between noon and five p.m., according to Vista Sheriff Sgt. Art Wager, and got out his Winchester 12-gauge to make his point. The San Diego Union Tribune has the story.

The 22-year-old repairman fixed the system and told deputies that at some point, the shotgun got put away. He didn't report the confrontation for a few days, until his supervisors persuaded him to.

When deputies showed up at Thomson's house in a hilly area about 35 miles north of San Diego to make the arrest, he was cooperative, Wager said.

"He was expecting us. He said he kinda figured a complaint had been made."

Thomson has no prior arrests, Wager says. Deputies didn't ask Thomson if it was the danger of missing the SuperBowl, the Grammys or his World of Warcraft game or just wanting his MTV that set Thomson off. He was charged with making criminal threats and displaying a weapon in a threatening manner and has been released on bond -- without the shotgun. And presumably, he didn't get a service upgrade.

Photo: Waldo Jaquith

Full post as published by Threat Level on February 07, 2008 (boomark / email).