Viral Florida Man Known as ‘Lietenant Dan’ Arrested for Trespassing in Tampa Bay
- by Rolling Stone
- Oct 19, 2024
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Joseph Malinowski, the
54-year-old Florida man who made headlines ahead of Hurricane Milton by claiming he would ride out the massive storm on a boat harbored in Tampa Bay — despite evacuation orders — was arrested on Friday, adding to his already substantial rap sheet.
Malinowski was charged with “two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court, and one charge of trespassing in a city park after warning,” 10 Tampa Bay reporter Aaron Parseghian posted on X (formerly Twitter) Friday afternoon. According to Parseghian, Tampa Bay Police also said that Malinowski “did not have a marine sanitation device aboard his unregistered boat, and did not have a record of proper waste disposal.” He’d failed to leave the dock a day after he had been instructed to relocate, at which point he was taken into custody.
https://twitter.com/AaronParseghian/status/1847350202040275382
Refusing to leave the dock is what made Malinowski famous as two major hurricanes bore down on Florida in late September and early October. Before Helene, Malinowski drew attention thanks to video interviews with Tampa TikTok creator Terrence Concannon in which he prepared to ride out the storm on his small sailboat. Then, as Milton veered directly toward the city, Malinowski went viral in videos where he explained to locals, newscasters, and law enforcement that he wasn’t going anywhere and would refuse any offer of shelter. Predictions of a deadly storm surge had triggered mandatory evacuations in the region, with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warning, “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”
Malinowski’s defiance had some observers disparaging him as a lunatic, while others celebrated him as an underdog hero and survivor they affectionately called “Lieutenant Dan,” after the double-amputee character in Forrest Gump. (Malinowski’s left leg was amputated after a car accident when he was 16, and he uses crutches; Concannon popularized the nickname.) The outpouring of support culminated in a GoFundMe campaign organized by Concannon, supposedly intended to finance a new boat for Malinowski so he could follow his “seafaring dreams.” The fundraiser ended with nearly $45,000 in donations.
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