CLOSTER, N.J.—A kitchen dispute over the disposal of food at Ewha Won Restaurant in Closter Plaza became heated when one man attacked two coworkers with a butcher’s knife June 25, Closter police said.
Officer responded to the Closter Commons restaurant at 2:13 p.m. that day to a report of a male employee struck with a knife by another employee. The victim showed police his irritated arm baring the imprint of a knife’s flat face on his triceps, Patrolman Brian Kelly wrote in an investigation report.
Sgt. Michael Fehsal had all kitchen employees exit the back entrance, and the victim pointed to a 45-year-old Edison man as the assailant, Kelly wrote. When asked if he struck the victim with the knife, the man nodded his head to indicate that he did, Kelly wrote.
Responding officers arrested the Edison man and secured the knife as evidence.
A second victim joined investigators at police headquarters. With the help of Tenafly Police Patrolman Joseph Kim, acting as a translator, the victims described the situation.
“Both [victims] stated that an argument arose between [two unnamed employees] over the disposal of food in the restaurant,” Kelly wrote. “[The defendant] began waving a butcher’s knife. [A victim] tried breaking up the altercation between the two parties and was struck in the chest by [the defendant] with his fist and continued swinging the butcher’s knife at the victims. Both victims were able to confirm their statements based on marks on their bodies.”
Both victims refused medical treatment. The defendant was charged with aggravated assault.
