WASHINGTON, October 1 – Novosti. A U.S. military court has acquitted sailor Ryan Mays of setting fire to the U.S. Navy ship Bonhomme Richard in 2020, which caused $1.2 billion in damage, the country’s Third Fleet said .
“Sailor recruit Mace has been found not guilty of charges of willful harm to the ship and arson,” a spokesman for the US Third Fleet told CBS.
It is noted that as part of the investigation, it was not possible to establish physical evidence of the deliberate arson of the ship by Mace. In addition, the military report found errors and inaccuracies in coordination, communications and firefighting training, as well as in the maintenance of equipment and overall command, which could have prevented ignition and fire.
The fire at the Bonhomme Richard occurred on July 12, 2020. The crew of the ship was about a thousand people, and about 160 sailors were on board at the time of the fire. Nearly 60 firefighters and sailors were easily injured during the extinguishing from smoke and heat. The fire was extinguished only four days later. The media later reported that, according to investigators, arson could have been the cause of the incident.
In December 2020, the US Navy announced that the US Navy’s amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) would be decommissioned due to extensive fire damage in July.
The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote, citing the Navy, that a sailor in San Diego had been charged. According to the newspaper, the man’s lawyer said his client denied responsibility for the fire. The New York Times reported, citing investigation documents, that the American sailor accused of arson “hated” the US Navy.
