A New Jersey Transit rail passenger was arrested Wednesday and charged with pulling a knife on a conductor who asked him to wear a mask while on a train in Bergen County, authorities said.
Keith Toussaint, 49, of Bronx, New York, was charged with aggravated assault against a transportation worker, terroristic threats, weapons possession and disorderly conduct, according to police and court records.
The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. after train, which was headed from Hoboken to Port Jervis, pulled into the Glen Rock Borough Hall station, police and NJ Transit said.
“The conductor advised officers that a commuter became confrontational when she asked him to wear a mask,” said Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann. “During the confrontation, he threatened her with a knife.”
Nancy Snyder, spokeswoman for NJ Transit, said the suspect “displayed the knife on the train and on the platform.” A woman who witnessed the incident went to police headquarters and alerted officers, Ackermann said.
“The suspect had run from the scene prior to officers’ arrival and was eventually located by Sgt. Mike Trover a short distance away,” Ackermann said. “The man would not respond to officers and ran into a home on Central Avenue, where he was acquainted with the owner.”
After an hourlong standoff, the man surrendered to local police and transit officers. He was taken into the custody of New Jersey Transit, officials said. No one was injured in the incident.
Toussaint was charged under a state law protecting front-line transportation workers. If convicted, he faces five years in prison and a $15,000 fine, Snyder said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal Transportation Security Administration requires that masks be worn on all trains and buses and inside all stations and facilities due to the COVID-19.
“The safety and security of our employees and customers are paramount. We take all incidents of our employees being assaulted seriously,” NJ Transit said in a statement after the incident.
“These actions will not be tolerated, and individuals who contemplate doing harm to our employees will be apprehended and aggressively prosecuted,” the statement said.
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.