Bodycam footage released by the Newport Police Department shows a fatal shootout that occurred in August between officers and a suspect accused of stealing a sailboat. The incident took place in Newport Harbor on Aug. 26, after officers responded to a call about a stolen vessel.
According to police, the suspect opened fire on officers shortly after their arrival. In the released video, an officer can be heard stating multiple times on his bodycam recording that he had been shot in the leg. Officers returned fire, and the suspect was ultimately killed at the scene. The stolen sailboat was later identified as the "Pathfinder," which had been reported stolen from Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Brendan Norris, 27, has been identified as the suspect who allegedly stole the boat and traveled from New Jersey to Rhode Island. The Newport Police Department stated that the purpose of releasing the video is to offer the public and media a transparent and factual account of the incident.
The Newport Police Department is conducting a joint investigation into the shooting with the Rhode Island State Police.