A North Carolina man seemingly unaware it’s illegal to openly carry a weapon in New Jersey finds himself in trouble after a Lyndhurst resident noticed him walking along Ridge Road in a suspicious manner and with a bulge on his waist on Nov. 3, Det. Lt. Vincent Auteri, the LPD’s public-information officer said.
Konnar Morris, 22, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, open carry of a firearm in public, possession of an unsecured firearm and possession of a large capacity magazine, Auteri said.
Additionally, according to Auteri:
That day at 9:18 a.m., Lyndhurst police officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Ridge Road after a 911 call alerted police to a suspicious man, dressed in all black, walking along Ridge Road with a handgun tucked in his waistband.
Responding officers canvassed the area before Officer Anthony Morreale located the man in the 600 block of Lake Avenue. Officer Morreale was joined by Lt. Paul Haggerty and officers Brian Kapp and Michael Clifford. Together, they confronted the suspect, Morris, and located a loaded 9mm handgun tucked in his waistband.
Morris was placed under arrest and transported to the Lyndhurst Police Department where he was processed and charged accordingly. Morris was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, Hackensack, pending court, and additional charges are pending.
The investigation further revealed Morris was staying with a friend who lived in the area and it is believed he was unaware New Jersey does not permit open firearm carry. A search warrant was executed on a car found to be registered to Morris. The search also revealed additional 9mm ammunition.
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