Dear Newark City,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:
Dear Records Custodian,

Under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.) and any other applicable New Jersey law governing access to body-worn camera recordings, I request body-worn camera (BWC) recordings only in the custody of the Newark Police Department that relate to Newark PD’s involvement (if any) in the post-incident response and custody/scene actions involving Officer Louis Santiago after the November 1, 2021 Garden State Parkway pedestrian fatality in Bloomfield, where reporting and the Essex County Prosecutor describe that the victim, Damian Z. Dymka (a nurse), was struck and later discovered in Santiago’s vehicle after he drove home.

Records requested (please produce up to three clear, non-duplicative items)

Please produce up to three clear, non-duplicative BWC recordings (or the relevant clips/segments) from Newark Police Department personnel that show:

Newark officers’ initial arrival/approach at Louis Santiago’s Newark residence (address on file with Newark PD) or any Newark location where Newark officers encountered Santiago or his vehicle in connection with this event;

First contact with Santiago by Newark officers, including identification and verbal directions/commands (as captured on BWC);

Any detention/custody-related actions, escort, transfer/handoff, or scene security steps performed by Newark officers in connection with this event (as captured on BWC).

Strict limits / exclusions (to keep this narrow and minimize review)

This request is strictly limited to Newark PD BWC documenting Newark officers’ initial contact/scene actions/custody-related activity tied to this event. I am not seeking:

Any NJSP BWC from the Garden State Parkway scene (unless Newark PD holds copies);

Any interviews/interrogations after the initial custody/scene actions;

Any internal affairs files, personnel records, or unrelated incidents;

Any third-party surveillance/CCTV.

Non-graphic limitation: If any portion depicts a deceased person or graphic imagery, please redact only what is required by law and release all reasonably segregable, non-graphic portions.

Date/time window (clip-based)

November 1, 2021 — limited to the window covering Newark officers’ first contact/arrival through the end of Newark officers’ on-scene involvement. Reporting places the fatal crash around ~3:00 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2021.

Format / delivery

Format: Original/native electronic video files (or native exported clips) via download link/portal with any available metadata/timecodes.

Redactions: Only those required by law; please release all reasonably segregable portions.

Fees / special service charge

This is a narrow, non-commercial, public-interest request for a small number of specific BWC clips via electronic delivery. It should not require an “extraordinary expenditure of time and effort” under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(c), so no special service charge should apply. If you believe any fee/special service charge is necessary, please provide a written estimate and do not proceed without my written approval.

If Newark PD is not the custodian / no BWC exists

If Newark PD has no responsive BWC (e.g., Newark officers were not present or BWC was not worn/activated), please confirm that in writing. If another agency is the custodian for any responsive BWC (e.g., NJ State Police or Essex County Prosecutor’s Office), please advise which agency holds the recordings.

Please confirm receipt and advise if any additional detail is needed to locate these records.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,

Darren Walker