Lieutenant Dan Has Been Arrested

Lieutenant Dan Has Been Arrested

Key Takeaways

  • TikTok star Lieutenant Dan was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on October 18.
  • He was charged with failing to appear in court over some of his pending cases and trespassing in a city park after being warned to leave.
  • Lieutenant Dan sarcastically thanked Tampa PD for his arrest.

As a long-time follower of Lieutenant Dan’s thrilling TikTok adventures, I must say his latest escapade has taken a turn for the unexpected. From braving the wrath of Mother Nature on his small sailboat during some of the most powerful hurricanes to now finding himself in the midst of legal troubles, it seems that the life of Lieutenant Dan is anything but ordinary!


Known as Lieutenant Dan, Florida resident Joe Malinowski was taken into custody in Tampa. He himself announced his detention via a tweet on Twitter.

54-year-old Lieutenant Dan gained popularity on TikTok by weathering powerful hurricanes from the safety of his tiny sailboat in Tampa. More recently, he navigated Category 4 Hurricane Helene and Category 5 Hurricane Milton in September and October of 2024, respectively.

On October 18th, as reported by USA Today, the popular TikTok personality was detained by the Tampa Police Department. According to Verliz Williams, the department’s Public Information Officer, Lieutenant Dan was apprehended due to not showing up in court for several ongoing cases and for disregarding a warning to vacate a city park. Previously, he had been indicted for causing a public health risk by lacking a marine sanitation device (MSD) on his vessel.

Marine sanitation devices (MSDs) serve to treat and manage sewage produced on boats. Their main function is to prevent the release of untreated waste directly into the water, which could contaminate marine ecosystems. According to the Clean Water Act, a federal law enacted in the early ’70s, these devices must be present on any boat equipped with toilets.

Lieutenant Dan Sarcastically Thanks Tampa PD for His Arrest

On October 18, Lieutenant Dan posted a tweet stating that he wasn’t disposing of waste but was instead keeping his urine and feces in “storage containers” close to his refrigerator on his 22-foot boat. He referred to this habit as the cause of his arrest, along with jokingly thanking Tampa PD for it. The police confirmed that Lieutenant Dan remained in Hillsborough County jail by Saturday, October 19. It’s unknown if he was released the following day, as he hasn’t provided any social media updates over the weekend.

Lieutenant Dan’s decision to remain on his boat at Bayshore Linear Park and Dock reflects his consistent determination to stay put, even in challenging circumstances. Most notably, he endured Hurricane Milton, a storm whose winds reached 180mph, causing an estimated $34 billion in damage, making it one of the most expensive hurricanes in U.S. history. Despite its destructive power, Lieutenant Dan downplayed the experience, calling it “relatively calm” to CBS News. However, he acknowledged that the strong winds caused his sailboat to collide with the harbor wall during part of the storm, leading him to sever a $250 anchor as a precaution against further damage.

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2024-10-20 20:04