A Summit woman is accused of shooting at a UPS driver attempting to drop off packages at her house on Tuesday afternoon in an incident that comes days after a grand jury indicted a Brookhaven father and son for shooting at and chasing down a FedEx driver in January.
Contraill Brock, 27, filed a report with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office claiming she and a co-worker were delivering packages for UPS at 1:25 p.m. Tuesday when Jill Allen, 55, came out of her home on Robert Ayers Road and fired a gun at them.
No one was hurt. Brock has filed simple assault charges against Allen in Pike County Justice Court.
Brock told deputies that she drove to the end of Allen’s driveway and blew the horn twice to let the resident know she had arrived. She got out of the vehicle to remove the packages and let a co-worker drive the company’s unmarked van.
Brock said she left the passenger door open and started calling out, “UPS, UPS.”
She got back in the vehicle and closed the door as dogs on the property started approaching.
Brock told deputies she and her co-worker pulled up close to Allen’s vehicle and put the packages on the hood of Allen’s car.
That’s when she heard a gunshot.
Brock started screaming, “UPS, UPS,” and, “Don’t shoot.”
Brock alleged that after the shooting, Allen raised her hands and humped her shoulders and shook her head, as if not to care about what had just happened.
The incident occurred less than a week after a Lincoln County grand jury indicted a father and son from Brookhaven for shooting at a Fed Ex driver.
Brandon and Gregory Case were served with an indictment Friday on charges of attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and shooting into the vehicle of Fed Ex driver D’Monterrio Gibson in Brook-haven on Jan. 24 and then chasing him.
The men were initially arrested on lesser charges and were re-arrested on upgraded charges, with their bonds set at $500,000.
Gibson’s attorney, Carlos Moore, wants prosecutors to pursue federal hate crimes charges in the case.
In both cases, the delivery drivers are Black and the people accused of shooting at them are white.
Pike County Chief Deputy Brad Bellipanni noted that the use of unmarked vehicles by delivery companies in both incidents.
“First of and foremost, FedEX and UPS have been delivering packages in unmarked company vehicles for whatever reason — due to company shortage, vehicle maintenance or time of the year,” Bellipanni said. “But the company is allowing them to do it on personally owned vehicles or rental U-Haul.”
He said residents who are unsure if a person in an unfamiliar vehicle is handling legitimate business should call authorities and have them check out the situation rather than take matters into their own hands.
“We at the sheriff’s office would like to remind the public at this time of year, the influx of boxes and Christmas and holiday deliveries they’re making, you will possibly see UPS drivers making these kinds of deliveries,” Bellipanni said. “We would like to remind the public that if they see something out of the norm, do not hesitate to call 9-1-1 and report it.
We will, as quickly as we can, come take a look at the vehicle or whoever they’re calling on, see if they’re legitimate UPS or FedEx vehicles.”
Representatives from UPS did not return a message by presstime Wednesday.
