Gunfire startles census worker

A St. Maries man was cited for firing his shotgun near a U.S. Census worker who was trying to deliver the man his questionnaire in March. Richard L. Powell, 54, faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for exhibition of a deadly weapon, a misdemeanor offense.

A St. Maries man was cited for firing his shotgun near a U.S. Census worker who was trying to deliver the man his questionnaire in March.

Richard L. Powell, 54, faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for exhibition of a deadly weapon, a misdemeanor offense.

The census worker alleges he was trying to deliver Powell the population-counting questionnaire on the afternoon of March 3, when Powell told the worker to get off his property at 396 Powell Road near St. Maries, according to the Benewah County Prosecutor's Office.

Powell then went into his residence and returned with a shotgun, and fired the gun in the air, the Benewah County Sheriff's Office said.

The census worker waited a few days before reporting the alleged crime to the sheriff's office, and Powell was cited a week after the alleged incident.

Powell did not return a message left by The Press seeking comment Friday.

His pretrial conference is 9 a.m. April 26 at the Benewah County Courthouse.