Man Told To Wear Mask Gets Violent At Morristown Eatery: Police

Josh Bakan
Updated ·2 min read

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morristown man got violent after a Fattys Restaurant manager told him to wear a mask Wednesday night, according to police. Jose Canales punched the manager, threatened employees while holding a small knife and threw an iPad at workers, authorities said.

The incident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police. Canales, 21, was charged with aggravated assault.

When Canales went to the restaurant to order food, the manager asked him to wear a mask in accordance with New Jersey's executive orders. Canales refused and became disrespectful, so the manager canceled his order and returned his money, the employee told police.

Then Canales began punching the manager over the counter, police said. He took a small knife out of his pocket and threatened employees, according to authorities. But he didn't strike any workers with the knife, police said.

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Canales then grabbed an iPad off the counter and threw it at staff, police said. The action didn't injure anyone but damaged the iPad. The manager chased Canales out of the store before police found him.

Canales sustained a cut on his forehead and was taken to Morristown Medical Center's emergency department for evaluation. The manager bruised his hand but didn't require additional treatment.

Police recovered the knife from the scene.

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This article originally appeared on the Morristown Patch