Morris County man charged after allegedly threatening juveniles with knife in Fairfield Township park
FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Essex County) — A Morris Plains man was arrested Friday evening after police said he allegedly threatened a group of juveniles with a knife during an argument at the Fairfield Recreational Complex.
The Fairfield Police Department identified the suspect as Yilmaz Akkoc, 20, of Morris Plains.
According to police, officers were dispatched to the recreational complex at approximately 6:14 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a juvenile who reported that a man had threatened him and his friends with a knife while they were on the turf field.
Responding officers met with a group identified by the juveniles, though police said the individuals initially denied that anything had occurred.
Police said Fairfield Special Police Officer Juan Barroso, who was off duty but at the park at the time, assisted officers at the scene and directed them to one of the juvenile victims and the victim’s mother.
According to investigators, the juvenile told officers an argument broke out between two groups over a soccer ball when one male allegedly removed a gold-colored knife from a bag and threatened the younger group.
The juvenile identified Akkoc as the suspect, police said.
After speaking with the group a second time, officers identified and interviewed Akkoc, who allegedly admitted to pulling out the knife, according to police.
Authorities said officers recovered a gold-colored knife matching the description provided by the juvenile from a bag belonging to Akkoc.
Akkoc was arrested and transported to police headquarters. He was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and simple assault-menacing.
Police said it had not yet been determined whether Akkoc would be remanded to the Essex County Jail or released pending an initial court appearance.
