Officer shot in leg during deadly Newport harbor shootout
Video shows officers exchanging fire with a suspect who stole a sailboat from New Jersey, ending in his death and an officer's leg injury.
By Layla Petrov ·
Newport Police Department released bodycam video on Friday showing a deadly exchange of gunfire in a local harbor. The incident occurred on Aug. 26, when officers responded to a report of a stolen sailboat in Newport Harbor. The suspect opened fire seconds after police arrived at the scene.
The footage captures the tension of the confrontation. One officer was heard repeatedly stating on his own recording that he had been shot in the leg. Police returned fire, and the suspect was eventually shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The vessel involved matched a 2 masted Yawl Hinckley Bermuda 40 named Pathfinder. Friends of the boat owner had shared social media posts in August asking the public to watch for the missing vessel. The boat was reportedly stolen from Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Police confirmed that Brendan Norris, 27, is the suspect. He allegedly traveled from New Jersey to Rhode Island in the stolen boat. The department said the release aims to provide a factual and transparent view of the circumstances surrounding the officers' actions.
The Newport Police Department is currently conducting a joint investigation into the incident with the Rhode Island State Police. The agency reached out to the media to clarify the details of the August shooting and the identity of the decedent.
