Boonton Police Investigate Stabbing of Local Man
Police in Boonton, New Jersey are investigating a stabbing incident outside a local residence. The Boonton Police Department dispatched police officers to a home located on the 200 block of Cornelia Street in Boonton after getting a 911 call at around 6:18 p.m. The caller was a 25-year-old man who told a police dispatcher that someone had just stabbed him with a knife during a violent altercation. When cops arrived at the scene approximately 20 minutes later, they found the victim waiting outside his residence and suffering from a wound to his upper torso. The victim was rushed via ambulance to Morristown Medical Center, where doctors treated him for his injuries and stabilized his condition. Fortunately, the victim should make a full recovery from the injury he sustained in the knife fight.
Boonton Police Captain Stephen Jones later issued a news release about the stabbing. Jones said that the victim reported that he was sitting on his front porch when he noticed someone leave his backyard. The victim had no idea who this person was or why he was on his property, so he confronted the man. What began as a verbal altercation soon became a physical dispute, with the victim reportedly brandishing a knife that he had in his possession. The other person reportedly got hold of the knife when the victim lost control of the weapon. The other individual then allegedly used the knife to stab the victim at least once in the chest.
Criminal Charges for Assault & Weapons Offenses in Boonton, NJ
After the stabbing, the suspect ran off and left the victim on the front steps of the property. The victim then contacted Boonton police. Boonton cops were joined by cops from the Mountain Lakes Police Department, the Boonton Township Police Department, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit as they canvassed the area around the victim’s property. However, police did not find the stabbing suspect.
If law enforcement eventually identifies and apprehends the stabbing suspect, he could face very serious criminal charges for aggravated assault or possibly even attempted murder. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as codified in N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b), is a second degree felony and carries a potential penalty of 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison. Moreover, since aggravated assault is a violent crime listed in the No Early Release Act (NERA), anyone convicted of this offense would be required to serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before becoming eligible for release on parole.
Interestingly, the victim in this case could also face criminal charges. The victim told Boonton police officers that he had the knife on him at the time of the fight because he typically carries the weapon for self-defense. Depending on the finding of investigators and the determinations of Morris County prosecutors, it’s actually possible that the victim could be charged with a crime. That’s because carrying a deadly weapon such as a knife is prohibited if the person carrying the weapon is doing so for an unlawful purpose. The specific charge is possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, which is codified in the NJ Criminal Code under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4. A conviction for possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose could result in a sentence of 3-5 years in state prison. (Possessing a handgun under these circumstances would likely result in more severe charges that carry a possible penalty of 5-10 years in prison.)
Contact the Tormey Law Firm to Discuss Your Morris County Assault Charges
If you’ve been charged with a violent crime in Morris County, NJ, it is imperative that you speak with a qualified criminal defense lawyer immediately. The experienced criminal attorneys at the Tormey Law Firm have successfully represented countless clients facing aggravated assault charges in Boonton, Parsippany, Morristown, and elsewhere in Morris County, New Jersey. Contact us now to discuss your case and start building your defense.
