A police sergeant from New Jersey faces charges for allegedly stealing photo equipment valued at $10,000 from a journalist injured during protests outside a Newark immigration jail. Sergeant Darryl Brown, serving in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, was apprehended after a geo-tracking device led the injured journalist to his home, as announced by the state’s attorney general on Thursday.
The photojournalist, Angelina Katsanis, was on assignment for The Associated Press at Delaney Hall on a Saturday night when a clash between police and demonstrators resulted in her being struck by a wood beam. Injured, she moved to a medical tent, leaving behind a gear bag clearly marked with her name and contact details. Upon returning now in a wheelchair she discovered the bag was missing.
“I checked my Airtag and the bag was already on a highway pretty far away at that point,” Katsanis recalled. “Right away, I had a feeling it was the police because they were the only ones with access to that area.”
The Airtag pinged a location in Sparta, New Jersey, linked to Brown, while Katsanis received hospital treatment. The Airtag was ultimately found miles from where it disappeared. Brown’s body camera footage revealed his interaction with the bag at the protest, supported by the attorney general’s office. A home search warrant executed on Wednesday found several missing items, marked with Katsanis’ name and phone number.
Currently, Brown’s attorney information remains unavailable, and messages left for him have not been returned. He faces third-degree theft charges and has been suspended without pay, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Katsanis, experienced in covering hostile environments, expressed her distress over the incident.
“I’ve thought a lot about how the officers are supposed to be there to uphold the law and protect us and protect property—this is the exact opposite of that,” she stated.
The detention center has increasingly become a focus for protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, witnessing regular conflicts between demonstrators and law enforcement. Protests have grown more intense, with advocates reporting hunger strikes by detainees over poor conditions at the 1,000-bed facility. Federal authorities denied these claims, accusing protesters of heightening tensions.
Katsanis experienced swelling and bruising on her leg but did not sustain fractures.