An Austin teenager has been charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly holding a knife against his 8-year-old cousin’s throat.

That charge, along with a felony count of making terroristic threats, were filed Thursday in Mower County court against the 17-year-old male.

The Austin Daily Herald typically does not name juvenile defendants.

According to a police report, the incident occurred last Friday at a home in the 700 block of Fifth Street Northwest. The defendant’s cousin and younger brother, 7, were reportedly arguing and fighting, which angered the teenager.

He allegedly told his cousin to stop messing with his brother or he’d get a knife. The arguing and fighting stopped, but the 17-year-old went and retrieved a kitchen knife nonetheless, the report states. He then allegedly held it against his cousin’s throat, and threatened other witnesses at the residence and told them not to tell anyone about the incident.

The teenager was later arrested near the city pool. He told authorities that he was baby-sitting his brother and cousin, and that he did hold a knife against his cousin’s throat. However, he maintained that he was only “joking” when he did this, the report states.

The 17-year-old defendant was sent to the Many Rivers Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Rochester, where he is still being detained.