A state trooper in New Jersey faces criminal charges after prosecutors accused him of stealing a camera and related equipment belonging to a photojournalist last month.
The officer, Sergeant Darryl Brown, works for the Essex County Proescutor’s Office and was assigned to work at a migrant detention center in Newark that attracted the attention of protesters last week.
As the protest grew in size over the past few weeks, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill made the decision to have local law enforcement monitor and attempt to disband the demonstrations, rather than having federal agents intervene.
Brown was one of several officers on the scene when protesters and reporters were detained last Sunday. According to state prosecutors, the photojournalist — who was not named — dropped a camera bag with around $10,000 in equipment.
It isn’t clear how Brown was able to collect the bag, which contained an Apple AirTag tracking bag. After the journalist was treated at a local hospital, police tracked the location of the camera bag via the AirTag.
A search warrant was executed at Brown’s home, and investigators recovered the camera bag and equipment, some of which contained labels with the name and telephone number of the journalist.
Brown faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 if convicted. He has been suspended without pay, according to local officials; it was not clear if he had legal representation as of Thursday afternoon. The New Jersey Globe, an independent news website, was the first to report on Brown’s arrest.
“So many police officers conduct themselves with integrity, uphold the law, maintain order and public safety, and serve our communities with distinction in the face of great challenges, day in and day out,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer 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.”
Davenport reaffirmed a prior commitment to hold law enforcement officers accountable when they are accused and convicted of wrongdoing.
“We are doing exactly that, and this case is a result of that effort. Let me be clear: absolutely no one is above the law,” Davenport noted. “We will hold law enforcement accountable when they abuse the tremendous position of public trust that they occupy and choose to break the law.”
