The medical examiner arrives to investigate the death of Jack Shaw moments after Jersey Journal photographer Dylan Wilson was assaulted (Photo by Dylan Wilson/Jersey Journal)
It’s been almost a week since New Jersey photojournalist Dylan Wilson was assaulted during assignment and police have yet to release the name of the suspect.
“They told me they will give me the report some time this week,” Wilson said during a phone interview with Photography is Not a Crime Sunday night.
“They told me it was simple assault.”
The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in the midst of one of the largest corruption stings in New Jersey in which 44 people were arrested, including politicians, rabbis and political consultants.
One such political consultant, Jack Shaw, ended up dying inside his condominium five days after his arrest in what some believe was a suicide. The death is still under investigation.
Wilson, who works for the Jersey Journal in Hudson County, was dispatched to the condominium building to get some photos in what was turning out to the biggest story that day.
“I was the first photographer there but there were already four journalists there,” he said.
Carrying two cameras, Wilson walked around the building before situating himself on the sidewalk in front of the building with the other reporters.
Suddenly, a very large man comes storming out the building towards him. A group of five or six people were following behind. The man was enraged.
“A man just died and you’re here to take pictures?” the man repeated as he stood in Wilson’s face.
The man was about six-feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. Wilson is 5-feet, six-inches and weighs 135 pounds.
“He reaches out with both hands and grabs my throat and pushes me backwards,” Wilson said.
“At this point, the rest of his crew, including the doorman, had to restrain him. I think they had to wrestle him to the ground.”
And they managed to drag him back inside the building.
Wilson then called the cops and identified the man who assaulted him. Police took a report but did not release the man’s name.
They told Wilson it is a simple assault and he would need to pursue it in Jersey City Municipal Court.
Unfortunately, Wilson did not take photos as the man charged him.
“In retrospect, I should have done that,” he said.
Wilson said that even though the man was much larger than him, he stood his ground.
“He was nose to nose with me. I kept telling him to calm down,” he said.
“I don’t have a problem with people getting in my face, but I draw the line when they put their hands on me or when they touch my personal property.”
I totally agree with him. I’ve had numerous people get in my face and yell at me and threaten me and even flip me off. My response is to simply take their photo.
However, if somebody physically assaults me, I will strike back as I did when I was assaulted by a Cuban security guard during a protest on Calle Ocho last year.
Here is the video of that assault. It occurs towards the end. Below are photos taken by El Nuevo Herald photojournalist Roberto Koltun of me defending myself.
Photo by Roberto Koltun/El Nuevo Herald
Photo by Roberto Koltun/El Nuevo Herald
