New Jersey
Can New Jerseyans take down drones themselves? Here’s what experts say
Drones NJ: Ocean County Sheriff’s Department sets drone command post
Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and his team join the hunt for unidentified drones over Seaside Heights
While some New Jerseyans are ready to take down drones on their own, experts say it’s easier said than done.
Shooting down drones is far more difficult than people assume, said Joel Anderson, counter-drone expert and founder of a company called ZeroMark, which produces AI-powered, auto-aiming devices for firearms to take out drones.
“It’s considered shooting down an aircraft, from a legal perspective,” he said. “Our current laws are a swamp of complexity, and it’s just a total legislative nightmare.”
Shooting down a drone is illegal and violates federal law in New Jersey, as drones are regulated by the FAA, according to New Jersey State Police. If you shoot down a drone, you could face significant fines – up to $250,000 – and imprisonment of up to 20 years.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden advised residents to resist the urge to defend the skies on their own.
“There’s been a lot of talk about shooting these things down,” Golden said Saturday. “I want to say this – please do not do so.
How to approach a downed drone
The state Division of Fire Safety sent out a bulletin to first responders that it developed with State Police and the FBI about how to deal with any downed drones.
They told responders not to approach any downed drones, instead they should notify local law enforcement, the FBI, bomb squads, State Police and local Hazardous Materials Response units.
Manchester Township Police released a statement advising that, if you come across a downed drone, you should not approach it.
“Leave the area and contact your local law enforcement immediately,” the statement said.
Calling 911 is not necessary, Manchester Police said. They advised the public to call the FBI directly at 800-225-5324. Tips, including videos, can be uploaded to the FBI’s website.
The quick advance of drone technology is bringing a growing danger, Anderson said.
Many videos on YouTube show Ukrainian soldiers shooting Russian drones out of the sky, he said. “But there are far, far more of them trying and failing,” Anderson said.
Inexpensive technology can allow an explosives-laden drone flying over an event to foil any attempt to jam it.
“You’d have to shoot it. But they don’t have the tech to shoot it, and they don’t have the legal authority to shoot it until they’ve seen one detonate” possibly in a crowd, he said.
Anderson said there is both a technology gap and a legal gap.
“If (drones) were weaponized, we’d be defenseless,” he said, adding that Mexican drug cartels have been using them to drop bombs on the military and police, he said.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-Manchester, said in a briefing Saturday he is drafting federal legislation to empower local authorities to take action, at the request of Golden.
“We know that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the federal government are solely in charge of the airways and drone operations as we see them today,” Golden said. “We’re calling upon Congress, and Congressman Smith’s leading the way, to modify legislation so that not just three federal agencies are able to have drone detection and de-drone equipment. This is a national public safety and security issue.”
New Jersey
Woman charged with theft for taking dog outside N.J. home, police say
A woman has been charged with theft for taking a dog outside a Clifton, New Jersey, home in April, police say.
Last month, William Chan told CBS News New York his dog, a 7-year-old Shih Tzu-Yorkshire Terrier mix named Rocky, somehow got out of the house on April 5 while his nephew was dog-sitting.
The Clifton Police Department said investigators determined that while Rocky was loose, he ran down the street and was running in or near the road at times.
Video shows Rocky did eventually return to his own yard, and a child holding a blanket can be seen chasing the dog before a woman gets out of a black SUV parked in the road. Rocky then runs onto the back porch of his home, where the woman and child corner him, grab him with a blanket, take him back to the SUV, and drive away.
The family said Rocky was wearing a harness and ID tag at the time.
Police said the woman did not make any attempt to talk to anyone inside the home or any neighbors, and neither animal control nor police received any calls about a loose dog being found on that day.
Chan called police on April 6 to report that Rocky had possibly been stolen, and investigators were later able to identify 29-year-old Mery Cepeda-Chevalier, of Newark, as a person of interest.
Officers spotted Cepeda-Chevalier’s vehicle in Passaic on April 8 and pulled her over, police said.
According to police, Cepeda-Chevalier cooperated with detectives, admitted she had Rocky, and agreed to have the detectives follow her back to her home. She then handed over the dog, and detectives reunited Rocky with his family.
On Thursday, Cepeda-Chevalier was charged via summons with one count of theft of a domestic companion animal.
New Jersey
Browns Hand Out New Jersey Uniform Numbers for All 10 Draftees, Plus a Dozen UDFAs
The Cleveland Browns announced jersey numbers for all 10 draftees, as the team’s rookie minicamp is underway at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
While First-round picks Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion had already shown off their numbers — 55 and 17, respectively .. at their introductory press conference a few days ago, the jersey numbers for other rookies hadn’t been disclosed until today.
Second-round wideout Denzel Boston will now wear No. 12, quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ old number. Sanders, a fifth-rounder last year, had previously announced a switch to his old college No. 2 beforehand.
Fifth-round linebacker Justin Jefferson has been assigned jersey No. 10, which was used by last year’s second-round running back Quinshon Judkins. No announcement has been made yet on Judkins possibly changing his number, though. He wore No. 1 at Ohio State.
Not all jersey numbers are available in Cleveland, as the team has officially retired five of them: 14 (Otto Graham), 32 (Jim Brown), 45 (Ernie Davis), 46 (Don Fleming) and 76 (Lou Groza).
|
Jersey |
Round |
Pick |
Name |
Position |
School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
55 |
1 |
9 |
Spencer Fano |
OT |
Utah |
|
17 |
1 |
24 |
KC Concepcion |
WR |
Texas A&M |
|
12 |
2 |
39 |
Denzel Boston |
WR |
Washington |
|
28 |
2 |
58 |
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren |
S |
Toledo |
|
58 |
3 |
86 |
Austin Barber |
OT |
Florida |
|
52 |
5 |
146 |
Parker Brailsford |
C |
Alabama |
|
10 |
5 |
149 |
Justin Jefferson |
LB |
Alabama |
|
18 |
5 |
170 |
Joe Royer |
TE |
Cincinnati |
|
15 |
6 |
182 |
Taylen Green |
QB |
Arkansas |
|
48 |
7 |
248 |
Carsen Ryan |
TE |
BYU |
At this point in time, eiht of the 10 rookies drafted by Cleveland in last months 2026 NFL Draft have signed their contracts. The only still-unsigned draftees are wideout Concepcion and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
In these cases, players sign a participation agreement that covers the team’s liability during the event, ensuring players are covered for injury.
Browns officially add 12 undrafted free agents
Cleveland also announced the formal signing of 12 undrafted free agents to complete it’s rookie class.
The most notable name on this list appears to be Logan Fano, a defensive end out of Utah who just happens to be Spencer Fano’s brother.
All undrafted free agent rookies were also assigned their numbers for the Browns’ rookie minicamp.
|
Jersey |
Name |
Position |
School |
|---|---|---|---|
|
29 |
Davon Booth |
RB |
Mississippi State |
|
34 |
Zion Washington |
S |
Boise State |
|
36 |
TJ Harden |
RB |
SMU |
|
36 |
Wes Pahl |
P |
Oklahoma State |
|
38 |
Kole Wilson |
WR |
Baylor |
|
43 |
Nate Evans |
CB |
Delaware |
|
47 |
DeCarlos Nicholson |
CB |
USC |
|
60 |
Izavion Miller |
OT |
Auburn |
|
64 |
Tyreak Sapp |
DE |
Florida |
|
66 |
Bernard Gooden |
DT |
LSU |
|
90 |
Khordae Sydnor |
DE |
Vanderbilt |
|
97 |
Logan Fano |
DE |
Utah |
Other players that have reportedly accepted invites to Browns’ rookie minicamp include Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes, West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico, Fordham linebacker James Conway, and Bowling Green tight end Jyrin Johnson.
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New Jersey
Crash closes Route 38 in Hainesport, New Jersey
A serious crash in Hainesport, New Jersey, has forced Route 38 to close Thursday night.
The crash happened on Route 38 near Creek Road at around 9:30 p.m. Chopper 3 was over the scene, where two cars were badly damaged.
According to Burlington County dispatch, several people were injured in the crash.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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