Heavily Armed New Milford Police Respond To New Bridge Road House

Three juveniles were taken into custody by Wednesday after a motorist called 911 upon seeing two males with firearms in the driveway of a New Bridge Road house. 

Police Chief Frank Papapietro said that the driver witnessed two males get into an SUV where a third person was waiting before driving away.  

Papapietro said that heavily armed officers did a perimeter check of the residence and were prepared to forcibly enter the home when a resident appeared at the door.

The resident was removed from the house and interviewed while the interior was searched. After canvassing the area on foot, police secured the house and surrounding property.

"With the report of a male exiting the house with a firearm, we didn't know what we'd find inside the house," Papapietro said.

The resident, an adult male, confirmed that his younger brother left the house with his friends at approximately the same time that the 911 call came in.

"After speaking to him via cellphone it was determined that he was picked up by two other juveniles in a vehicle matching the description provided by the witness," the chief said. "It was further determined that they were in possession of paintball guns at the time."  

The juveniles were requested to appear at New Milford police headquarters with their parents and the guns they had in their possession. All complied and were interviewed in their parent’s presence. All three were released.

"Parents should be aware of the dangers of realistic looking firearms," Papapietro said. "A real tragedy could have occurred."

Papapietro said that police from New Milford, Bergenfield, Teaneck and River Edge all responded to the scene.