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Postal worker follows couple, assaulted over package

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A United States Postal Service worker was thrown down a flight of stairs Friday after police say he followed a couple more than three bl...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A United States Postal Service worker was thrown down a flight of stairs Friday after police say he followed a couple more than three blocks while asking questions about a destroyed package.

Harrisburg police did not release the name of the postal worker. They are looking for the couple involved in the alleged assault.

Police say the USPS worker was on his route through Harrisburg's Allison Hill neighborhood when he realized he had accidentally dropped a package behind. When he returned moments later, he found the package had been ripped apart and its contents destroyed.

"He looked in the area and there was nobody there except these two individuals," Sgt. Gabriel Olivera with the Harrisburg Police said. "He approached them. They ignored him. He continued to follow them to see if they knew anything about the package. "

According to Olivera, the postal worker followed the couple, a male and a female, for more than three blocks; approximately a half mile down Herr Street to the William Howard Day housing complex at the 1200 block of Cumberland Street. When they arrived at the top of a cul de sac, Olivera said, the postal worker confronted the man. The man reportedly turned around, grabbed the mail carrier by the throat, and threw him down a flight of concrete steps.

The man then unleashed his dog on the mail carrier, but it is unclear how much the dog contributed to the postal worker's injuries, which were considered minor; a few deep cuts and bruises to his arms and legs.

"The dog did not attack the postal inspector," Olivera said. "The dog did come up to him but did not appear to be dangerous at that moment."

The couple then fled the scene. Police are still looking for them.

Fox43's requests for an interview with a representative from the U.S. Postal Service was denied. A spokesperson said safety is their top concern for mail carriers, but added decisions are left at the discretion of the postal workers.

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