A postal service driver was arrested last week after he tried to run over a 10-year-old boy he decided was a “porch pirate.”
The boy, who lives at the home where the package was delivered incorrectly, was taking the package to a neighbor’s where it belonged, WKRG reported.
William White Jr., 41, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft, and criminal mischief.
“This isn’t just a simple, ‘Oops,’ crash with a 10-year-old in the road,” Florida Highway Patrol Capt. Jason King told WEAR. “This is an intentional act by a United States postal worker.”
A Florida Highway Patrol report said that the boy got on his electric scooter to deliver the package to the right house after White delivered it to the wrong address, the Pensacola News Journal said. White decided he was stealing the package and drove at him, hitting the scooter.
“White then purposely drove the USPS vehicle towards the child and ran over the scooter,” the report said. “The child was able to get into the nearby yard prior to the scooter being hit.”
White then yelled at the boy, took the scooter out from under his vehicle, and put it inside before driving away. A member of the boy’s family followed and confronted White, who threw the scooter into a yard.
The incident took place on December 27. White was interviewed four days later and arrested.
In a statement, USPS said it “”takes the safety and well-being of our customers and employees seriously” and said it was investigating “in partnership with local law enforcement” but declined further comment.
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[Featured image: William White Jr/Escambia County Sheriff’s Office]