NEW YORK — A New Jersey police sergeant has been charged with theft after authorities alleged he stole a photojournalist’s camera equipment while she was receiving medical treatment following a protest outside an immigration detention facility in Newark, officials said on Thursday.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said Sergeant Darryl Brown, 43, of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, was charged with third-degree theft in connection with the disappearance of camera gear belonging to photojournalist Angelina Katsanis after a May 30 demonstration near the Delaney Hall detention center. Investigators alleged the equipment was worth about $10,000.
According to the attorney general’s office, Katsanis was injured while covering clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officers outside the facility and left behind a camera bag containing professional equipment while seeking medical attention. Authorities said the bag and its contents were later reported missing.
Investigators said an Apple AirTag attached to one of the items helped trace the missing equipment to a residence in Sparta Township linked to Brown. A subsequent investigation, including a review of body-worn camera footage, allegedly showed Brown interacting with a bag matching the description of the journalist’s belongings.
A search warrant executed at Brown’s home on June 3 resulted in the recovery of several items reported missing, officials said. According to the criminal complaint, some of the recovered equipment still carried labels bearing the journalist’s name and phone number.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the allegations were damaging to public confidence in law enforcement.
“So many police officers conduct themselves with integrity, uphold the law, maintain order and public safety, and serve our communities with distinction,” Davenport said in a statement. “When an officer does what is alleged in this case, it is a disservice to the profession and the public.”
Katsanis, who was on assignment for The Associated Press during the protest, said she quickly suspected law enforcement involvement after tracking data showed the bag moving away from the area. “I checked my Airtag and the bag was already on a highway pretty far away at that point,” she told AP.
Information regarding legal representation for Brown was not immediately available. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said he has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case. Authorities noted that the charge is an accusation and that Brown is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
