SAN FRANCISCO — The dismissed captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier knew he was jeopardizing his military career when he broke protocol and sent a now-famous email warning of possible sailor deaths due to a coronavirus breakout on board.
But Brett Crozier says in a witness statement obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle that he did so in an urgent effort to help avoid a “larger catastrophe.”
Crozier’s witness statement, recorded in May during the Navy’s investigation into the handling of the outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, provides a look at his thinking when he sent the March email that upended the military world and brought condemnation from the top Navy admiral overseeing the carrier. President Donald Trump also criticized Crozier.
Vice Adm. William Merz, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, told investigators that Crozier either did not understand military efforts underway to evacuate the crowded ship or wanted to undermine those efforts. Merz hypothesized that Crozier screwed up and panicked, or wanted to play hero.
“Either way, he surrendered, and brings into question his resiliency and toughness in command,” Merz said.
Crozier, a native of Santa Rosa, California, was stripped of his position but received a rousing hero’s sendoff from his crew, who credited him with saving their lives.
Read More: Teddy Roosevelt captain says he knowingly risked career with virus warning