A man accused of stealing a luxury sailboat in Jersey City was shot and killed by Rhode Island police on Wednesday.
The incident took place at around 9 a.m. in Newport, between Storer Park and the Elm Street Pier.
The boat was reported stolen on August 22nd, about 11 p.m., from the Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City.
Officials said it was one of the marina’s most admired vessels.
The suspect was seen on surveillance footage, spurring a search for the thief and sending alarms to the Coast Guard all down the East Coast.
Police claim the man turned off the boat’s transponder when he reached the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and officials lost track of it.
They discovered it Wednesday morning in Newport, where they had a heated interaction with cops.
Authorities said as officers approached the boat, the subject went below deck and refused their demands. Police say he armed himself with a pistol and fired bullets.
During the shootout, the suspect was killed, and one officer was hurt. The cop was sent to the hospital and is stated to be stable.
Brendan Norris, 27 years old, was eventually identified as the suspect.
On Wednesday, the boat owner expressed gratitude to all who assisted in recovering his vessel, holding back tears. I mean, you guys are like, ‘Oh, it’s only a boat,’ but it’s kind of my passion, and it’s taken ten years to bring her to where she is now,” boat owner Jim Bonomo explained. “So when we saw someone stole it, it was pretty upsetting.”
The boating world worked together to restore the “Rolls Royce of sailing boats.” So everyone was looking for it, and I believe we have a nice conclusion as long as that police officer is okay,” Bonomo stated.
People working at the marina claim they saw the guy before he stole the boat. He strolled into Jersey Jet Ski on Saturday, and the proprietor stated that the suspect was exhibiting peculiar behavior.
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