NJ police – A New Jersey police sergeant faces third-degree theft charges after authorities allege she took an Associated Press photojournalist’s camera bag left behind when the journalist was injured during protests outside an immigration detention center in Newark.
For the third time that day, the protest outside an immigration detention center in Newark turned into chaos—so much so that an Associated Press photojournalist ended up injured and taken to a nearby hospital.
When she left behind her camera bag with professional equipment, authorities say it didn’t stay where it fell.
New Jersey charged a police sergeant with stealing that equipment after an investigation traced missing items to her home.
Sgt. Darryl Brown, 43, of Sparta Township, was charged with third-degree theft. The case was handled by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
Prosecutors allege Brown took approximately $10,000 worth of cameras and related equipment belonging to Associated Press photojournalist Angelina Katsanis. Investigators say Katsanis was covering demonstrations at Delaney Hall on May 30 when she was injured during the protest. She was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, leaving behind the camera bag.
The charge came after investigators traced an Apple AirTag attached to one of the missing items to Brown’s residence. Authorities later recovered several pieces of equipment during a court-authorized search of her home.
Investigators also reviewed Brown’s body-worn camera footage from the protest. The criminal complaint alleges the footage shows Brown interacting with a dark-colored bag matching the description of the journalist’s missing equipment.
A judge approved a search warrant on June 3, and during that search prosecutors say investigators recovered several missing items, including equipment that allegedly still displayed Katsanis’s name and phone number on attached labels.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the allegations reflect the state’s willingness to investigate misconduct by law enforcement officers. She announced the charge on June 4. saying. “So many police officers conduct themselves with integrity. uphold the law. maintain order and public safety. and serve our communities with distinction.”.
“When an officer does what is alleged in this case, it is a disservice to the profession and the public,” Davenport said in a statement. She added that “absolutely no one is above the law” and pledged that officers who abuse positions of public trust will be held accountable.
Katsanis was covering demonstrations outside Delaney Hall. a Newark immigration detention center that has become a focal point for protests tied to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The detention-center protests drew growing attention in recent days. and the site of the clashes—where law enforcement and demonstrators confronted each other—has become central to the political fight playing out in the streets.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said Brown has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
“Conduct that undermines the public’s trust in law enforcement is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Stephens said.
Brown faces potential prison time if convicted: three to five years, along with a fine of up to $15,000.
Katsanis told the Associated Press she suffered bruising and swelling after being struck in the knee during a clash between demonstrators and law enforcement officers. She later said the alleged theft left her shaken.
The sequence of the case rests on a simple premise prosecutors say they can prove: a journalist was injured while doing her job, her camera bag was left behind, and investigators tied the missing equipment to Brown’s actions and her home through the AirTag and body-camera footage.
New Jersey police Darryl Brown Associated Press Angelina Katsanis camera theft AirTag ICE detention center protests Newark Attorney General Jennifer Davenport Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II