In July 2021, the U.S. Navy formally charged a sailor with arson, believing that his arson caused the “Good Man Richard” amphibious assault ship to burn down and injured dozens of people.
On September 30, 2022, local time, sailor Ryan Mays, who was charged with arson, was found not guilty. Military Judge Derek Butler said prosecutors lacked sufficient conclusive evidence to substantiate their allegations against Mays of arson and intentional damage to the warship.
↑ Fire breaks out on USS “Good Man Richard” at Naval Base San Diego
During the nine-day trial at Naval Station San Diego, California, Navy prosecutors said Mays, 21, deliberately set the USS Good Man Richard on fire in the summer of 2020. Mace has said he was “dissatisfied” with being assigned to the “Good Guy Richard” ship after dropping out of SEAL training.
Metz’s defense attorney team countered that there was no physical evidence linking Metz to the fire, and prosecutors took evidence from only one witness. The witness’s testimony turned multiple times, also admitting to “pressure” from the authorities to identify Mays as the main suspect. It is reported that the witness said that Mace was seen walking into the deck below the aircraft carrier with a bucket before the fire.
Separately, the defense determined that investigators had located another suspected sailor, but the military’s investigation of the man was halted following his retirement from the Navy. Separate reports indicated that 17 sailors and five admirals were held accountable for failing to meet their responsibilities during the fire. The investigation also found that the stacking and storage methods of various flammable materials in the warship were improper. On the day of the fire, nearly 90 percent of the fire stations on the ship had equipment problems or had not been inspected. Sailors were also not properly trained and prepared for a possible fire.
↑ Sailor Ryan Mays
“I’m grateful that this matter is finally over,” Mays told the media outside court. “Arguably the last two years have been the hardest two years of my life.” Mays added that the prosecution cost him the loss of his friends and family. Family time, “My entire Navy career has been ruined, but I’m looking forward to starting over.”
The “Good Man Richard” is a “quasi-aircraft carrier” with a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 tons and is worth about $1.2 billion. On July 12, 2020, a fire broke out on the “Good Man Richard” at the San Diego Naval Base. The cargo storage area under the aircraft carrier first caught fire and then got out of control. Hundreds of sailors and local firefighters participated in the firefighting. More than 60 sailors and civilians were treated for minor injuries, high temperature collapse and smoke inhalation during the firefighting.
It is reported that this is the most serious warship fire incident outside the battlefield in the United States in recent years. The warship was scrapped due to structural, electrical and mechanical damage, and repairs are expected to cost between $2.5 billion and $3.2 billion.
Red Star News reporter Ding Wen
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