U.S. Marshals Arrest Newark Fugitive Wanted for Aggravated Assault on Two Police Officers After Three-Hour Barricade in North Carolina

Newark, NJ – Members of the U.S. Marshals Service, in coordination with their federal, state, and local partners, have arrested Isaiah P. Ketchens, who was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Newark Police Department out of Essex County on Aug. 1, 2025, charging him with the aggravated assault of two Newark police officers and weapons possession offenses.

Ketchens was apprehended in Raleigh, North Carolina, following a coordinated fugitive investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and task force officers from the Newark Police Department. Investigators developed information that Ketchens had fled New Jersey and was residing in the Raleigh area. When law enforcement officers attempted to take him into custody, Ketchens barricaded himself inside the attic of a residence, refusing repeated commands to surrender.

After an approximately three-hour barricade, Ketchens ultimately surrendered to Deputy U.S. Marshals and law enforcement officers without further incident. No officers or civilians were injured during the operation.

Following his arrest, Ketchens was processed in North Carolina and will face extradition proceedings before being returned to New Jersey to answer the pending charges.

“Individuals who violently attack law enforcement officers and attempt to evade justice should know that crossing state lines will not shield them from accountability,” said Nicholas Ricigliano, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey. “The U.S. Marshals Service, alongside our federal, state, and local partners, remains steadfast in its commitment to locating and apprehending dangerous fugitives wherever they may flee. This arrest reflects the strength of those partnerships and our unwavering dedication to protecting the public and supporting the officers who put themselves in harm’s way every day.”    

“I commend Newark Police Division task force officers for their outstanding investigative work as liaisons with the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, which supported the apprehension of Isaiah Ketchens,” said Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr. “This fugitive had been at large for nearly an entire year and was being sought on charges of aggravated assault on two Newark police officers and weapons possession. Our task force officers’ unwavering commitment to public safety is both remarkable and exemplary.”

The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force credits the assistance of their law enforcement partners with the Newark Police Department, North Carolina, and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, whose collaboration led to the successful apprehension of Ketchens.

The New Jersey Division of the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force is composed of investigators from the following agencies: NJ State Police, NJ State Parole, NJ Department of Corrections, Port Authority Police Department, Passaic County Sheriff, Essex County Sheriff, Union County Sheriff, Mercer County Sheriff, Monmouth County Sheriff, Ocean County Sheriff, Burlington County Sheriff, Camden County Sheriff, Hudson County Sheriff, Gloucester County Sheriff, Salem County Sheriff, Atlantic County Sheriff, Somerset County Sheriff, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark PD, Jersey City PD, Trenton PD, Camden Metro PD, Atlantic City PD, Asbury Park PD, Vineland PD, Pennsauken PD, Flemington PD, Elizabeth PD, Hamilton PD, East Orange, PD, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.