Gun-Wielding Wyckoff Man Threatens to Kill Family, Police Say

A Wyckoff man was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats in Mahwah Tuesday after allegedly showing family members his gun and threatening to shoot them all, Mahwah Police Chief Jim Batelli said Wednesday.

According to Batelli, Joshua Bushman, 25, of Wyckoff, was working on renovating a home in North Haledon before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he got into a verbal fight and "violent physical altercation" with his uncle. The uncle, who suffered minor injuries from the fight, then drove to Bushman's father's business in Mahwah, Cedar Hill Nursery, police said.

Bushman followed him, and at the nursery continued the argument, shouted profanities, and lifted up his sweatshirt to reveal a Glock handgun that was tucked in his pants waistband, Batelli said.

Bushman threatened to shoot the entire family, Batelli said. A verbal argument continued until Bushman got into his red pick-up and drove away, police said.

Mahwah and Wyckoff Police responded to Bushman's home in Wyckoff, where he lives with his fiancé, Batelli said. Bushman told cops his uncle had assaulted him, but admitted to having handguns and rifles in his house, Batelli said. The Glock was seized as evidence, police said.

Bushman was arrested and charged with terroristic threats, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, Batelli said. He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, police said.

"The argument was really not over anything very serious, as far as we could tell," Batelli said.

"It was a small verbal argument that escalated into something much bigger."