Man shot dead by police after stealing rare sailboat and fleeing to Rhode Island

According to authorities, Brendan Norris, 27, stole the 1968 Hinkley Bermuda 40 named Pathfinder from the Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City on Saturday night and navigated it down the Upper Bay to Newport, Rhode Island. The vessel was located anchored near the Newport Bridge on Wednesday morning, prompting Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy to dispatch officers and harbormaster staff to the scene. Norris ignored commands, retreated below deck, retrieved a firearm and opened fire on the officers, resulting in a shootout that left him dead and one officer wounded in the lower extremities.

The injured officer was hospitalized briefly and has since been discharged. The boat’s owner, Jim Bonomo, discovered the missing sailboat on Sunday and reported the theft to New Jersey State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard, noting the rarity of the model with only about 200 remaining worldwide.