The American sailor accused of setting fire to the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, California in July 2020 has been acquitted by a court martial, Reuters reports.
The defense for Seaman Recruit Ryan Mays argued that Mays did not set the fire, asserting that lithium-ion batteries onboard or a short circuit in a forklift sparked the fire. Prosecutors stated Mays was a disgruntled recruit who did not take to Navy life and wanted to show his dissatisfaction.
It took four days for Navy firefighters and fire departments from the city, county and Coast Guard to put out the fire on the ship, which was largely vacated with crew on leave. At least 60 people were hospitalized because of the fire, and the ship sustained so much damage it had to be scuttled.