![]() (Phillips says he really did have to suggest that they remove their clips before using a gun to break the window.) Phillips also describes how the pirates “claimed they were former fishermen who’d been forced into banditry when their livelihoods disappeared,” just as they do in the movie. Over those five days, the extreme heat raised tensions, and the pirates broke the boat’s windows to let in some air. In the movie, Phillips says things like, “If you want to shoot someone, shoot me!” But Phillips says that he never meant to sacrifice himself for the crew. Though he was made a hero by ensuing media reports, Phillips doesn’t call himself a hero for these actions. But after Phillips went down to the lifeboat to help the pirates get it started, the hijackers kept Phillips and reneged on the deal. This shifted the balance of power, and the crew was eventually able to negotiate an exchange of Muse for Phillips. (According to the book, they all had sandals.)Īs in the movie, it was chief engineer Mike Perry that scuffled with Muse in the dark of the engine room and, after badly cutting Muse’s hand, used the knife to take him hostage. The book, for example, never describes a barefoot pirate stumbling on a field of broken glass, left by the crew as a booby trap. The crew’s efforts to take the ship back are also largely accurate, though some details seem to be invented. They really did offer the pirates the $30,000 from Phillips’ safe, but the hijackers wanted much more. ![]() He pretended he didn’t understand them, that the ship was “broken,” and he surreptitiously turned on his radio to sneak news to his crew. Phillips boarded the life boat with them, and the ship's crew freed Muse, who then boarded the life boat, according to the criminal complaint.Business or not, Phillips tried to slow their progress any way he could. Muse was carrying a gun and was the first alleged pirate on the ship, the complaint said.Īccording to the complaint, Muse had fired his gun at the Maersk's captain, Richard Phillips, and then took $30,000 from the ship's safe after he forced Phillips to open it.Ī Maersk crew member managed to tackle Muse and tie his hands, leading to a deal with the pirates: They would leave the ship if Muse was returned to them and if they got a life boat, the complaint said. They boarded the ship after firing shots, according to crew members quoted in the complaint. See timeline of events that led to piracy case » Pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship, April 8 about 350 miles off the Somali coast, according to the criminal complaint. Muse's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, the U.S. The remaining two charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars: seizing a ship by force and conspiracy to seize a ship by force. They are piracy, possession of a machine gun while seizing a ship by force, hostage-taking, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, possession of a machine gun during hostage-taking, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and possession of a machine gun during kidnapping. The indictment charges Muse with eight counts that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. There had been questions about his age, with Muse's father in Somalia telling defense attorneys that his son was only 15. Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck ruled that Muse is older than 18 and can be tried as an adult. Muse "conducted himself as the leader" of the pirates who took over the Maersk Alabama, according to the criminal complaint released last month. He arrived in the United States on April 21. Navy took Muse into custody April 12 after the hijacking in the Indian Ocean. ![]() Attorney for the Southern District of New York said. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse faces life in prison if convicted of eight of the 10 counts, the U.S.
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