Watch: Stolen Sailboat Shootout Leaves R.I. Police Officer Wounded

A Newport police officer was shot in the leg after an armed suspect retreated into the cabin of a stolen sailboat, grabbed a gun and opened fire on responding officers.

Joe Vince

Nov. 4, 2026

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Recently released body camera footage shows a shootout aboard a stolen sailboat in Newport after officers tried to stop a suspect from leaving the harbor.
Police said Brendan Norris fled into the vessel's cabin, armed himself and opened fire, striking a police officer in the leg and causing facial injuries from debris.
Officers returned fire, fatally wounding Norris. The injured police officer was treated at a hospital and later released.

A shootout aboard a stolen sailboat left a Rhode Island police officer injured and an armed suspect dead in a confrontation that was caught on body camera footage.

The incident happened at around 9 a.m. Aug. 26 when the Newport harbormaster reported seeing a 40-foot sailboat anchored offshore that had the name taken off the stern, the Police Chief Ryan Duffy stated ahead of body camera footage. The boat had been stolen from New Jersey, and four officers responded.

When police approached the watercraft, a suspect, later identified as Brendan Norris, appeared to be getting ready to sail off, and officers ordered him to stay where he was. Norris, however, fled into the sailboat's cabin.

In the cabin, Norris grabbed a gun and opened fire. An officer who had boarded the vessel was struck in the leg by the gunfire, and debris also struck his face.

Police returned fire, and Norris was struck. When officers were able to approach the cabin, they found Norris with a severe head injury, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The injured officer was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.