Four Fairfield Public School students are facing charges after police say they bullied a follow student, who responded by threatening his aggressors with knives, police said Friday.

The bullying victim was also charged, police said.

Fairfield Public Schools Superintendent Mike Testani says the incident, involving students from Roger Ludlowe Middle School, took place off campus Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with News 12, the victim, his mother and their attorney, Dennis Bradley, said the bullying "had been taking place for the past three months and included phone threats, as well as in-person physical encounters."

"This young man has special needs, and it is outrageous for him to face charges considering the way he was bullied, endlessly, by four aggressors who threatened him at his home, where he lives with his disabled mother," Bradley said.

"This young man was defending his home and his mom -- end of story," Bradley said.

In a statement Friday, Fairfield police said, in part, "These actions, both in person and through phone communication, created an environment that ultimately led to an escalation when the bullied juvenile chose to retaliate by brandishing kitchen knives. While we understand the emotions & fear that might have contributed to this response, the Fairfield Police Department wants to make it clear that the use of a weapon or any form of violence is never an acceptable solution."

Testani added, "Please speak with your child to ensure that inappropriate behavior can lead to both legal ramifications and school disciplinary actions."

All five students are charged with second-degree breach of peace, and one is charged with second-degree threatening, police said.

News 12 has complete statements from Fairfield Police and Fairfield Public Schools at news12.com.

The Fairfield superintendent of schools sent out the following letter to families:

"The district was made aware of an incident that took place last evening outside of school hours and grounds. The event involved Roger Ludlowe Middle School students. The Fairfield Police Department was called to the scene and a group of juveniles were arrested. No one was hurt, and there was never any threat to the school. For additional information, please see the attached statement from the Fairfield Police Department.

While this incident took place outside of school, it is important to know that per Board Policy “Students may be disciplined for conduct off school grounds if such conduct is seriously disruptive of the educational process and violative of a publicized policy of the Board.” Please speak with your child to ensure that they understand that inappropriate behavior can lead to both legal ramifications and school disciplinary action.

Unfortunately, the event was recorded and posted on a local social media platform. We continue to see more and more examples of students and even community members perpetuating information online. Not only can this hinder the important work of the police, but it can also cause harm to the minors and other parties involved. We once again ask that you have serious conversations with your children about being responsible digital citizens.

Thank you for your support and understanding."