A man from Rhode Island met a tragic end during a confrontation with police after he allegedly pilfered a rare luxury sailboat from a marina in Jersey City and attempted to make his way back home.
Brendan Norris, who was 27, was shot and killed following a standoff with officers who found him on the stolen boat anchored at Newport Marina in Rhode Island early Wednesday morning, around 9 a.m., as reported by officials.
Described as a “modern-day pirate,” Norris reportedly took a 1968 Hinkley Bermuda 40 from Liberty Harbor Marina—conveniently located just minutes from Manhattan—on Saturday night, according to local news.
For about an hour and a half, Norris was seen lurking around the marina, mingling with people prior to executing what appeared to be a bold theft.
Surveillance footage depicted him, mustachioed and carrying bags, near the water before he untied the boat and departed.
Norris had an online listing on a crewing website where he claimed he was the captain of a 40-foot boat in Newport and also served as a Chief Engineer on a luxury 65-foot motor yacht. He was reportedly seeking work as a deckhand or crew member in the yachting world. In his profile, he mentioned having spent his whole life on boats, saying stuff like, “yes I can tie a bowline?” and described himself as “easy going, drama-free, and fun to be around.”
The stolen sailboat, known as Pathfinder, traveled through the Upper Bay and beneath the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge before Norris allegedly disabled the vessel’s transponder system that tracked its location.
Jim Bonomo, the owner, returned to the marina with his wife on Sunday morning, only to find that his boat—a cherished possession for a decade—was missing.
“I literally pulled up to the gate, looked at my dock, and thought, ‘Where’s the boat?’” Bonomo recounted.
The couple promptly reported the boat stolen to both New Jersey State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard, while also notifying marinas along the East Coast to be on alert for Pathfinder.
Bonomo highlighted the rarity of the 1968 Hinkley Bermuda 40, noting that there are only about 200 still in existence. He remarked on how Newport, Rhode Island, is known as a sailing hub in the country, implying that if any community would’ve taken notice of the stolen vessel, it would be there.
Harbormaster officials located the sailboat moored in Newport Harbor near the Newport Bridge and called the police early Wednesday morning.
Four officers and three members of the Harbormaster Office approached the boat, where they confronted Norris, as stated by Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy.
When police attempted to apprehend him, Norris went below deck and, disregarding their commands, armed himself and opened fire on the officers.
During the exchange, Norris was killed, while one officer sustained a gunshot wound to the lower body, Duffy noted. Witnesses reported hearing between 10 to 14 shots before things quieted down.
The injured officer was hospitalized but has since been released and is recovering at home.
Bonomo expressed confusion at Norris’ actions, stating he only learned of Pathfinder’s recovery when he saw the reports on the news. “So, yeah, that was pretty shocking,” he said, baffled by how a simple boat theft could escalate this way. “I don’t understand why something like that would happen from just stealing a boat. It’s a tragic end. I’m really sorry that that’s how it ended.”
