Newport officer shot, suspect identified, killed, in confrontation aboard reportedly stolen sailboat

Newport, RI – The suspect killed in an officer-involved shooting early Wednesday has been identified.

According to authorities and ABC 7 New York, the incident began before 9:00 a.m. when the Newport harbormaster spotted an anchored vessel in the city’s North Anchorage that matched the description of a luxury sailboat reported stolen on Saturday from Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey. Alerts had been issued along the East Coast after the boat’s transponder was disabled near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Four Newport police officers and three members of the Harbormaster’s Office approached the vessel near Storer Park and the Elm Street Pier. A man seen on the bow ignored commands and fled below deck. Police say he armed himself with a firearm, and an exchange of gunfire followed.

According to Newport Police, Brendan Norris, 27, of Newport. was killed. One officer was shot in the lower extremity and treated at Newport Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. He has since been released and is recovering at home. Officials have not publicly confirmed whether Norris was shot by officers or suffered a self-inflicted wound.

The Rhode Island State Police and the Newport Police Department, in coordination with the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, continue to investigate the incident. 

The officer who was shot has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. In accordance with standard protocol, all officers who discharged their firearms during the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. 

Members of the department’s peer support team, along with representatives from the statewide peer support network, are providing assistance and support to affected personnel. We will provide any additional updates tomorrow morning. 

The boat’s owner, Jim Bonomo, later expressed gratitude that the vessel had been recovered, describing it as a passion project he had worked on for a decade.