Summary
- New Jersey police sergeant Darryl Brown was charged with third-degree theft.
- Photojournalist Angelina Katsanis was covering protests outside Delaney Hall for the Associated Press.
- She was injured during clashes and later found her camera bag missing.
- An AirTag inside the bag led investigators to a home linked to Brown.
- Authorities recovered several missing items, some marked with Katsanis’ name and phone number.
- Brown was suspended without pay pending the investigation.
- The case raises serious questions about press freedom and journalist safety during protest coverage.
A New Jersey police officer is accused of stealing the equipment bag of a photojournalist who had been injured while covering a protest outside Delaney Hall in Newark.
The case involves Greek-American photojournalist Angelina Katsanis, who was on assignment for the Associated Press covering the clashes outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center. According to authorities, Darryl Brown, a sergeant in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, is charged with third-degree theft, after some of the missing photographic equipment was located at his home.
The case carries particular weight, as it concerns not only the loss of equipment worth approximately $10,000, but also the safety of journalists covering volatile protests. Delaney Hall has become a flashpoint due to demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration policy and the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
What happened at the protest
Angelina Katsanis was covering the protests outside Delaney Hall, where migrants are being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. During a clash between police and demonstrators, she was struck in the knee by a wooden beam.
The photojournalist headed toward a medical tent to receive help and, in the chaos, left her equipment bag behind. When she was later allowed to return to the location, now in a wheelchair, the bag had disappeared.
According to her, when she checked the AirTag inside the bag, the signal showed that the equipment was already on a highway, far from the scene. Katsanis stated that she immediately suspected the case was connected to the police, since, as she said, only officers had access to that area at that moment.
The AirTag led to the officer’s home
While Katsanis was at a hospital being treated for her injury, the AirTag indicated that the bag had arrived at a home in Sparta, New Jersey. According to the state attorney general’s office, the address was linked to Sergeant Darryl Brown.
Authorities then examined footage from Brown’s body camera, which reportedly showed him interacting with the photojournalist’s bag at the protest scene. With a search warrant executed at his home, several of the missing items were located, some of which bore Katsanis’s name and phone number.
The AirTag was later found on the side of a road, several kilometers from the home where its signal had originally been recorded.
The charges and possible penalties
Darryl Brown is charged with third-degree theft and has been placed on unpaid suspension, pending the progress of the investigation. According to PetaPixel, the charges he faces carry a prison sentence of three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport emphasized that no one is above the law and that authorities will demand accountability when members of law enforcement allegedly abuse the position of public trust they hold.
For his part, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II called the charges serious and concerning, noting that behavior that undermines public trust in law enforcement will not be tolerated.
The equipment that was lost
Katsanis’s bag contained high-value photographic equipment, including a Sony Alpha 1, a Sony 70-200mm lens, and many more photographic accessories. According to a fundraising page set up on her behalf, the bag also contained her car keys, leaving her temporarily without access to her vehicle as well.
She stated that it is not yet clear when she will be able to retrieve her equipment, as the items are now evidence in the case. At the same time, she suggested that the incident may reveal something larger, since, as she said, other people apparently also reported missing items from the scene of the Delaney Hall incidents.
The press freedom issue
Katsanis’s attorney, Wylie Steckow, told PetaPixel that the critical element in this case is that the alleged criminal act comes from the side of law enforcement. He added that the seizure of the equipment also affects journalists’ rights, as cameras are essential tools for covering events of public interest.
Mickey H. Osterreicher, legal counsel for the National Press Photographers Association, stated that he is working with journalists, families, attorneys, organizations, and officials affected by the events at Delaney Hall. According to him, at least three members of the organization were among those arrested.
Osterreicher described the allegations as deeply troubling, noting that if officers obstructed legitimate journalistic coverage and then appropriated journalists’ equipment, that would constitute a serious abuse of public trust and a direct attack on journalistic activity.
The context at Delaney Hall
Delaney Hall is a 1,000-bed detention center and has become the epicenter of demonstrations over U.S. immigration policy. Protests have intensified in recent weeks, as supporters of detainees reported that a hunger strike had taken place inside the facility over living conditions.
The federal government has denied the allegations of inadequate conditions and has accused demonstrators of escalating tensions.
Katsanis stated that she suffered swelling and bruising on her leg, though she did not sustain a fracture. Nevertheless, she said the incident has shaken her, since, as she put it, police officers are supposed to be there to enforce the law and protect people and their property.
What we think
The case is extremely serious, because it touches the very core of journalistic work in conditions of tension. For a photojournalist, the camera is not just an expensive object, but the essential tool for documenting reality.
Whether the charges will be proven in court is a matter for the justice system. But the message is already clear: when journalists cover events of high public interest, their protection and the safeguarding of their equipment is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for informing the public.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the photojournalist in the case?
The photojournalist is Angelina Katsanis, who was covering the Delaney Hall incidents for the Associated Press.
What equipment was lost?
The bag contained, among other items, a Sony Alpha 1, a Sony 70-200mm lens, and many more photographic accessories, with a total value of approximately $10,000.
How was the bag tracked down?
Katsanis had an AirTag inside her bag, which initially showed the movement of the equipment and then led authorities to a home connected to the police officer.
What charges does the officer face?
Darryl Brown faces a charge of third-degree theft and has been placed on unpaid suspension.
Has the equipment been returned to the photojournalist?
It is not yet clear when it will be returned, as the items that were located are evidence in the case.
