Crime & Safety

Cops: We Showed Up With a Traffic Warrant, We Left With Assault-Rifle Arrest

If only man had cooperated, things might have gone a little smoother.

When Kinnelon police showed up at a home March 1, all they wanted was to serve a traffic warrant.

They left with a man in custody on charges he had an assault rifle, which police said was loaded and ready to fire.

Police say when they arrived, they found the man in a common hallway of his building, and told him about the traffic warrant. But the man wasn't wearing any shoes, and asked if he could step inside to get them before heading to the station, police said.

Find out what's happening in Hasbrouck Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Only then, the man slammed his door in an officer's face, and refused to come out, police said.

Police talked to the man through his door, and ultimately, the incident ended in his arrest. But police said they also noticed something they probably wouldn't have seen if the man had just cooperated—a Bushmaster assault rifle in an open closet at the man's apartment. Police said the rifle was loaded with 22 rounds in the magazine and a round in the chamber. The man was charged with unlawful possession of a loaded assault rifle, possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card and contempt of court. 

Find out what's happening in Hasbrouck Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each Monday, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Some of the other reports:

Basketbrawl: Jackson police officers arrested four Brick residents–an adult and three juveniles–. The fracas began inside the high school gym where, according to police, bottles were being thrown. One of the bottles struck a cheerleader and another struck a parent. Police then had trouble breaking up a crowd gathered around a reported fight outside. Tensions grew as police attempted to arrest one Brick student, and other students began to exit a bus and interfere with the arrest, police said. A Brick man tried to interfere with the arrest of one of the students, and was arrested himself, police said. For some people, basketball's a passionate matter—Jackson Memorial beat the Brick Memorial Mustangs 41-36, knocking Brick Memorial out of the playoffs.

That's Just How He Rolls: Fair Lawn police say a Paterson man took his bowling a little too seriously Feb. 26. They say the man had gotten into an argument with another patron at —and soon the argument turned physical, with one of the men shoving the other. Police also said the Paterson man punched  the other man in the face, resulting in a simple assault charge.

Justice Delayed? A Nutley man wanted on warrants since the 1980s was apprehended by Lyndhurst police and brought to Belleville police headquarters. He was wanted on a 1984 narcotics warrant for $1,045 and a $500 warrant for allegedly hindering apprehension from 1987. He was held on $1,045 bail.

Stop And Think Before You Stop Traffic: It is probably best not to stop traffic during rush hour. . A Hillsborough man was charged with disorderly conduct in Bridgewater after he stopped his car on Route 28 to confront a driver in front of him who had apparently cut him off on Feb. 1, police said. A Bridgewater officer watched the man exit his vehicle, walk to the car in front of him and begin yelling obscenities at the other driver, slamming his hand against the driver’s side window, police said. No word on how all the drivers of the cars behind the spectacle felt.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.