Newly released bodycam footage has revealed the terrifying moments a routine check of a stolen sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island, erupted into a deadly shootout.
The chaotic August 26 incident left 27-year-old suspect Brendan Norris dead and a veteran police officer wounded.
See the bodycam footage of the incident below:
The maritime confrontation began when the Newport harbormaster spotted a 40-foot Hinckley-brand yawl anchored in Newport Harbor with its name intentionally scraped off the stern. The vessel, named the Pathfinder, had been reported stolen four days prior from Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The harbormaster ferried officers out to the vessel, but as police boarded the deck, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Bodycam audio captures officers shouting, “Sir, stay on the deck!” and “Put your hands up now!”
Instead, Norris darted into the boat’s cabin. An officer positioned on the bow watched Norris rummaging below deck and spotted a “metallic object” resembling a gun barrel. Moments later, a gunshot rang out from inside the cabin.
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“Shots fired, shots fired! Hit it!” an officer yelled in the footage as a frantic gun battle ensued.
Amid the chaos, officers are heard shouting, “Reload, reload, reload!” before one yells, “I’m hit!” The wounded officer suffered a gunshot to his right leg but remained in stable condition.
When the gunfire ceased, officers breached the cabin and found Norris unresponsive with a severe head injury and a firearm next to him.
Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy stated that officers quickly identified the suspect’s injuries as “significant and not compatible with life,” and Norris was pronounced dead at the scene.
Addressing the unique dangers of the shootout, Chief Duffy highlighted the perils of maritime law enforcement. “Having to operate from a vessel is definitely more complicated,” Duffy explained. “It’s not a stable platform and there are factors that are just not the same as engaging with people on dry land.”
The fatal incident remains under joint investigation by Newport Police and Rhode Island State Police.
Related: Watch: Boat Goes Airborne in Big Waves, Throws 3 People into Ocean
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