So, I have worked previously in corrections for 2 years (I quit in 2017) and ever since I don’t deal very well with confrontation, I guess because I had to do it as a profession for so long that I just can’t mentally handle it now. I prefer to just let things go, but if I need to talk it out with someone I try to do very calmly and professionally. And then sometimes that doesn’t work.

So, my current situation, my co worker is very mouthy, and when we first started working together he was really chill and whatever but over the last few months he has slowly started showing his true colors. He talks a lot of shit under his breath, mumbles a lot, he will sometimes come slick out of his mouth directly and I just try to not really say anything about it.

Today, I tried to let him know something about what time we will be starting work tomorrow and he went off about when I said, “Yeah the dump opens at 5 so it is what it is” and he took it as disrespect and instead of saying his little piece over text he called me and began yelling at me. I told him that he isn’t going to talk to me anyway he feels like and that I didn’t want to work with him anymore, he will have to find another truck to work on, go our separate ways and be done with it. He began yelling more at me that I was a piece of shit and saying “Do I have to kiss your ass?” I told him no I don’t want anyone to kiss my ass but the way your talking to me isn’t going to work and you need to find another truck to work on. Here he says “Oh I’ll kiss your ass. I’ll fucking lick your ass. I’ll see you bitch. I’ll see you in the yard mother fucker. Oh I’ll see you.” Being the former law enforcement experience I do have, I asked him if he was threatening me and he said he was. That’s where I ended the conversation.

So during all this I was talking to my supervisors about removing him from my truck. And they seem to just kinda be meh about it, not to mention Ive been talking to them for a couple weeks about removing him from my truck. I told them he had threatened me and they were still kinda meh about it.

So here’s my current mental situation. I’m afraid that this guy is going to be at the yard in the morning and try to do something like fight or whatever. And if they send him home for whatever reason instead of working him I’m afraid he might come to where I’ll be working tomorrow and try something there. I don’t want to risk my job getting physical with someone or risk my lively hood you know? And at this point I’m afraid to escalate the situation to the big boss because then it’ll be even bigger issues with him. 

I don’t know what to do and I’m having serious anxiety about it and it’s triggering my PTSD from law enforcement and I just don’t know what to think or what to do.