A postal worker who was apparently on the job was shot and killed in the 1600 block of Reed Street in Cheverly, Md. Saturday night.
Police said they got the call about 7:20 p.m., and found a man at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, who has not yet been identified, died at the scene.
Fellow postal workers came to the scene, and told News4’s Darcy Spencer that they worried about their own safety as well. “That could have been me,” one told Spencer.
There have been complaints in recent months that postal carriers are having to deliver mail later in the day, sometimes after it is dark.
Tyson Jerome Barnette, postal worker, shot to death
(WJLA) A reward of up to $100,000 is offered by the U.S. Postal Service for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the murder of a postal worker in Landover.
Stop whining! Management is not responsible for the mans death, the shooter is responsible!you whiners are amazing…UPS is out until 8, 9, 10 pm delivering, Fed ex is out after dark delivering. Only postal carriers would whine like you pampered union protected workers are.
If you don’t like the conditions…quit! Quit your jobs and let someone else more appreciative of having a decent paying job do it. No one forces you to be mail carriers. either accept the job and the conditions that go with it, or shut up and move on to something else! There are lots of people in this country that would gladly have your jobs in a heart beat…quit your bitching.
Suzann, the time changes have nothing to do with it.
This has been going on all summer too.
The cause of the problem are twofold:
– plant changes, brought on by mgmt.
– when a carrier(s) leaves, retires, etc., their open route is not even being attempted at being filled. No new hiring is taking place.
Again, caused by mgmt.
Postal mgmt. is 100% responsible.
My prayers and condolences go out to this man’s family and friends. Working in the dark is common these days, especially during the holiday season. We’ve been told that due to plant closings and the mail moving further distances between offices that this is going to be the norm. It’s sad that it takes the death of one of our own to shine the light on the real problem. While local mgmt is doing what district mgmt requires, it does seem a logical solution would be to re-arrange the plant hours of operation and leave the delivery hours untouched. We all know the time changes and that makes darkness arrive earlier in the winter. If plant closings are what we have to deal with, then the rest of the operations should be the ones to adjust THEIR hours. Safety is being ignored even it’s just for a couple of months. I too, hope the family opens a case against the USPS. This man’s death would not have been in vain or perceived as callous. So sad and needless. My heart breaks for him.
Deceive, deflect, and deny.
The postal mgmt. mantra.
Interesting how whenever mgmt screws up, which is plenty, there’s always a bunch of ifs, ands, or buts.
But when a carrier *supposedly* screws up, ya know, like missing an all important scan (oh, the horror !), no questions asked, you’re guilty, no ifs, ands, or buts.
Again, who is responsible for the mail getting late ?…………..
Spare me the “poor mgmt” “look at the whole picture” bs.
Once you in mgmt. start doing such, we will.
Until then, congrats on helping a carrier get killed.
Of course, only someone with a conscience would be bothered by such, so………..
“All Your TSP” You are obviously not looking at the whole picture and is totally slanted against management. It is sad that the carrier died and disciplining every manager in the postal service would not justify or equate to any employee dying. Management is responsible for mail getting to offices late. However, management is not totally responsible for carriers getting off late. Carriers use to report at 7:00 a.m. Now they report as late as 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. because of late arriving mail. This would put them getting off at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. Carriers are delivering mail as late as 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. because they are carrying part of another carrier’s route. Possibly because the other carrier called in sick because he/she could not get Annual Leave to attend a college football game or for a long weekend (everyone knows that this does happen). The death did occur on a Saturday night. Regardless, It is a sad situation and pointing fingers and/or downing anyone will not bring Mr. Barnette back. The late delivery needs to stop no matter who is responsible for it.
Sorry MJaco, no eas/mgmt. sympathy here. I am hoping you’re not equating them getting disciplined with a carrier being killed.
And yes, mgmt. is solely to blame for late delivery. They’re the ones who slashed craft ranks and are having the mail delivered late to the offices.
They, and they alone are responsible for this.
Rif vast numbers of them and watch profits, productivity, and efficiency all increase.
Condolences to the Barnette family. I agree with “40 year carrier” that making delivery of mail that arrives at the office “late” should be tomorrows mail. Changing Service Standards to deliver mail one day later than usual will not impact recipients that much. Most persons don’t write checks to pay a bill on the day of receipt anyway. To condemn all EAS employees (supervisor, managers, postmasters, etc.) is unreasonable. I was a letter carrier, supervisor, Station/Branch Manager and Postmaster during my 36 years in the Postal Service. To categorically downcast everyone in management is unfair. Orders flow downhill to mid-level managers just like to do to craft employees. I personally know of EAS persons who have been threatened with discipline because “late” mail was curtailed and delivered the next day. Carriers on park and loop routes who must walk across lawns, go up steps and place mail in boxes attached to the wall on a porch are in extreme danger. Imagine being in your home at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. and hearing someone rattling your mail box. Who wouldn’t think that someone is trying to break into their home. Management isn’t the only blame for late delivery. Some of it has to do with some craft employees abusing sick leave. When one carrier calls in sick, other carriers have to carry one, two or three hours of that route (after they finish their eight hour route). This makes for a 9, 10, or 11 hour day and night delivery. I am not saying that carriers should not call off sick, when they are sick. However, there is a lot of abuse of sick leave.
The first thing that needs to be addressed toward this young man’s death at this moment is PRAYERS for his daughter and his family. The second thing is the safety of OUR mail carriers! Arguing and cussing and fussing is not going to fix the situation. Remember the man’s family in PRAYER!
to disgusted: How dare u blame the carrier and not the time that we actually get our mail to any given post office to deliver the mail as they have shut down processing plants and carriers can’t even get out on the street to deliver the mail in a timely manner, that’s why we are out after dark, not because we choose to be, it is what we are required to do, we r still just doing our job with no regard to our safety because it is our job, but hey “safety first” I have papers I have to sign just about everyday about safety first. The higher ups do not care about us as people, we r just the people who deliver the mail and are replaceable even if we die doing it, they never had to leave the desk to make that decision for us. I am a rural carrier, and we do not get our mail to deliver until 10:30, 11:00, and my route is almost 98 miles long, I just delivered in the dark yet again tonight and I have been with the postal service for 13 years. I can assure u I have a family I want to come home to and not be out after dark.
I’ve been a postal carrier for 40 yrs,and have never seen the management
of the service be so poor and uncaring.Now a young man has paid with his
life for bad management decisions. If the “plant” can’t get the mail to the offices in a timely manner, then the “later” mail needs to become the
next days mail. I really don’t think whether a customer gets a delivery
on say a tuesday instead of monday is worth the life and safety of a USPS
employee. If it is something THAT important..that’s what express mail is for.Decisions like this are made by people sitting in nice warm WELL LIT
offices and have long forgotten about those of us out in the elements
doing the WORK that pays their salaries.They constantly preach safety until it comes to something that makes their job performance or “numbers”
look better.I hope this young man’s life will be the wake-up call for those in power,and they will DO THE RIGHT THING and end after dark deliveries.It is unsafe for USPS employees(especially the women)and dangerous for our customers as well. Will it take the death of a customers child,being struck by a postal vehicle in the dark for them to open their eyes to this serious risk?Come on postal union.Earn YOUR salaries and stand up for the men and women you’re getting paid to protect.TAKE A STAND!
RIP MR BARNETTE, POSTAL MGMT BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL, NEED TO GROW A PAIR, IM NOT EVEN GOING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE IDIOTIC COMMENTS MADE HERE (capt, disgusted and obammy)
First and FOREMOST, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the Barnette family. The fact that some of you actually took the time and made a conscious effort to show no regard to a loss of life is unconscionable! (That Captain Jerk guy…clearly is racist…and probably from the backwoods of West Virginia. He’s probably one of those ignoramuses who opposes Obamacare, and is in favor of The Affordable Care Act…ONLY BECAUSE HE IS TOO IGNORANT TO KNOW THEY’RE ONE IN THE SAME! But, I digress…which is why the comment referencing you — Captain Jerk — is in parenthesis…YOU are IRRELEVANT!) CLEARLY, USPS management needs to establish a policy/mandate that prohibits mail delivery after hours – especially in high-crime areas. And “Disgusted”…what do you mean? Are you inferring that he would have gotten killed THAT NIGHT anyway, regardless of where he was? Of course, no one knows when their life on earth will end, but if provisions can be made to remove someone from harm’s way, then I feel the appropriate actions should be taken. May God bless the Barnette family.
They don’t care as long as the mail is beening deliver.There was a union meeting in Richmond va and a 204b stated where she from they don’t deliver mail in the dark and the union president stated it’s not written in the contact that a carrier shouldn’t deliver in the dark. I believe if the union man up against management and stand behind the carriers and put a end too this night time deliver so something like this wouldn’t happen again. they should down size management and put a Uniform on maybe we won’t be short staffed. The majority of the usps management don’t have the education, very disrespectful or didn’t earn the job honestly. I’m sadly disappointed on how United States Postal Service is handled this night time delivery. My prayers and condolence goes out to the family.
My heart goes out to the family. Mail carriers shouldn’t be out this late!! Management is liable for this!!
We, the craft see a pattern and wish to issue management an Official Discussion.
Disgusted is obviously a 204 wannabe, already has the ass kissing part down pat.
Not mgmts fault ? Who’s fault is it, that the mail gets to the offices late ?
You do know the reason for that, right ?
You carried…………LOL, yeah, sure ya did.
100% mgmt. fault. May they all rot in hell.
Moron.
Appropriate actions against the USPS?! WHAT IS THAT?! They aren’t responsible for this man’s death. The murderer is!!! So freaking assinine.
Those of you blaming management are so freaking dumb. It’s the antiquated union mentality coming out in all of you. Management has a job to do jist as carriers do. It is not their fault. How aboit solely blaming the person who committed the murder. Are you kidding me… have you not read the news?! People get killed everywhere, anytime, and in any neighborhood. This is a tragedy but not one based on the actions of the USPS, management, or the time of day. So stupid. Ignorant people. I carried for many years with the understanding of what the job may require. That includes hours. Grow the fuck up.
The obammmy person is really ignorant. To put a reply like that shows your inmaturity and total stupidity. I hope the family takes the appropriate action against the post office.
Management has total disregard when it comes to adhering to the contract especially when it comes to article 14 Safety. Carrier brings back mail due to the safety issues of darkness and is issued a 14 day suspension and then
threatened to finish the route regardless of safety. Carriers are delivering mail in dark unsafe situations because
they are afraid of being disciplined severely by management. Management only adheres to safety when it benefits them
not the carrier. In this case a fellow brother carrier lost his life because of managements negligence. My heart goes
out to the family and friends of our fallen brother, this type of tragedy affects everyone in the Postal community.
When is management going to wake up?
Respectfully Yours
Concern UNION REP
My deepest condolences to this young mans family
stop your crying……….been in office 5 years and I will help 40 million illegal alien mexicans before I help you. have a problem cry to pelosi, reid, hillary lol. so the guy is dead, “what does it matter now”? I use UPS & FDX in the white house anyway. maybe it was just my look like sons playing “the knockout game”…..shit happens.
Local mgmt. is just as much to blame for this as upper Scott.
They do not deserve, nor get, a free pass.
I hope this CCA’s family sues the living shit out of the USPS. As with everything else, they totally ignore our concerns for safety and quality service, and this time a letter carrier paid for it with his life because he was forced out after dark and may have surprised somebody not expecting someone on their property at such an hour.
Will this change anything? Time will tell. Of course local managers and maybe some district heads will show up at his funeral and/or issue “heartfelt condolences” to the family, but it’ll all be a smokescreen. The worst thing is that his immediate supervisor and postmaster or office manager may know, understand and appreciate the unnecessary risks involved sending people out after dark, but are powerless to do anything about it. Now, if these individuals have a conscience, they’ll bear a terrible burden the rest of their lives because they could not ignore orders, and the craft will make them pariahs as they are the closest conduit to where the problem lies. Of course, there may be more to the story, but how many more carriers will die or be injured because management can’t staff properly? When people lose their lives due to incompetence something must be done immediately.
The times are certainly changing for the carrier craft. The accident rate for that craft is certainly on the rise since all the closings/consolidations have occured. Logistics plays a huge role as the mail has to travel further to get processed, in addition, the larger processing plants are taking on even more volumes of mail that can’t be processed in a timely fashion, therefore all of this resulting in later and later delivery times. I consistently read articles about carriers being hit by cars or shot (after dark). Donahoe should be relieved of his duty ASAP. He has done nothing to improve service, in fact, he has done just the opposite. Hopefully, the carrier President will fight the issue of safety. My heart felt condolences go out to the family of Mr. Barnette.
It was a matter of time but it happened. A carrier’s life is worth more than a piece of junk mail. I hope your union starts to fight for you. Delivering mail at night in a high crime area is unacceptable.
Seriously, Captn? How freaking stupid are you? In case you haven’t noticed the stock market is at an all time high. The economy is just fine for the corporate elite, not so much for the working class though.
Capt.Jack is full of shit. I’m a retired city carrier who worked from 1978-2009. If carrier worked in the dark back then it was because he or she was a fuck-up.
Capt Jack is no longer delivering mail because he must have been on drugs. That’s where he gets his delusions. If he delivered in the 70’s in the dark it must have been in Alaska.
10-15 carriers will need to be shot after dark before management addresses delivery times.
Captn Jack is a complete asshat and tool. Go crew your skiff, jerk.
Nothing new. In the 70s I delivered mail with a flashlight! Grow up~~ it is not mgmt., not the job, it IS drugs and Obie’s economy. You voted for Obie and YOU are responsible, not mgmt.
Our District Manager showed up in our office awhile back. When she asked for comments, one carrier expressed concerns about delivering in the dark. Her response was that we might be forced to start even later sighting logistical issues. It’s called working for the enemy. Once upon a time this was a good job. What a shame. God bless this carrier and heartfelt condolences to his family. Hopefully this tragedy won’t be in vain. Probably will be though. So sad
Yeah OCC, but we all know how much mgmt scum honors contracts.
That would be, not at all.
They are all liars, thieves, and now murderers too.
This is all unnecessary. Our latest contract allows the USPS to hire new employees at $ 15.00/hr with no benefits. They could eliminate all Overtime if they would take advantage of this. The new hires would not get benefits until they replace a full time employee that leaves the USPS.
Carriers nationwide should cite safety concerns, and not deliver in the dark, at all, anymore.
Mgmt/eas scum, may you all rot in hell.
You mgmt/eas scum now have blood on your hands, as YOU are 100% responsible for this.
this is total bullshit! carriers should not be out after dark! start times should be earlier not later. safety is constantly preached but is not done. in fact, the opposite is done. how the hell can you deliver mail in the dark?! you cant see where u are walking and cant read addresses on houses. especially if you are unfamiliar with a route. management sucks!
Carriers across the country are being forced to deliver mail after dark due to Postal management decision to move start times later, claiming they are understaffed, or the plant cannot get the mail to the associate offices any earlier. This is simply BS. Now we are seeing the results if this failure to manage in a humane way.