FAIRHAVEN - Fairhaven Police are charging a Rhode Island man after he allegedly made threats to the Town's harbormaster.

Police say Harbormaster Timothy Cox observed a man illegally shellfishing in the area of Balsam Street and Cherrystone Road on West Island at about 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday. Cox reported he saw the man taking mussels from a shellfish bed, and asked the man what he was doing. That's when he said the man told him he had a knife and would use it against Cox if he didn't stop asking questions.

Cox alerted police to the incident, and the man was taken into custody.

Police say the man, identified as Zachary Fournier, 26, of Pascoag, Rhode Island, claimed he found a kayak on a beach in Mattapoisett, and used it to paddle to West Island. Police have not located the kayak.

Fournier was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for evaluation and will be summonsed to court to face a charge of threat to commit a crime.

Police continue to investigate the incident.

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