Man charged after he allegedly fired shotgun in direction of police officers in Washington Twp, Morris County
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – A Morris County man has been charged in connection with a shots fired incident that occurred on Rock Road in Washington Township on Monday evening, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said in a Tuesday news release.
Keith O’Connor, 49, of Washington Township was charged with second-degree possession of a Weapon for an unlawful purpose, third-degree aggravated assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth-degree possession of a prohibited weapon, and third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, Knapp said.
On March 30, at around 7:10 p.m., officers responded to a residence located on Rock Road to perform a welfare check into a report of a suicidal man, Knapp said.
It is alleged that while the officers were on scene, O’Connor fired a shotgun at or in their direction. The subsequent investigation revealed additional weapons, including an assault firearm and large capacity ammunition magazines, as well as a suspected controlled dangerous substance, were found within his residence, Knapp said.
No shots were fired by the Washington Township Police Department officers, Knapp said.
O’Connor remains in custody and is pending a first appearance in court, Knapp said.
Washington Township Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office -Crime Scene Investigations, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit all took part in this investigation, Knapp sais.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, you are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the Washington Township Police Department at 908-876-8300.
