By: Richard L. Smith
A man wanted for allegedly assaulting two Newark police officers and multiple weapons-related offenses has been captured in North Carolina after an extensive fugitive investigation led by the U.S. Marshals Service and its law enforcement partners.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Isaiah P. Ketchens was arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina, on a warrant issued by the Newark Police Department on Aug. 1, 2025.
Authorities said Ketchens was wanted on charges stemming from the alleged aggravated assault of two Newark police officers, along with weapons possession offenses.
Investigators determined Ketchens had fled New Jersey and was believed to be living in the Raleigh area.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Service, working alongside task force officers from the Newark Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, located him on July 21, 2026 and moved in to make the arrest officials told RLS Media.
Officials said Ketchens refused to surrender and barricaded himself inside the attic of a residence.
After an approximately three-hour standoff, he surrendered peacefully to Deputy U.S. Marshals and assisting officers without further incident. 
No law enforcement personnel or civilians were injured during the operation.
Following his arrest, Ketchens was processed in North Carolina, where he will undergo extradition proceedings before being returned to New Jersey to face 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,” Acting U.S. Marshal Nicholas Ricigliano said in a statement.
“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.”
The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force credited the successful arrest to the coordinated efforts of the Newark Police Department, the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, and additional law enforcement agencies in North Carolina.
Officials said the operation highlights the continued collaboration between federal, state, and local authorities in locating and apprehending fugitives who attempt to evade arrest by leaving the state.