Community Corner
Gasparilla Pirate Fest Sees 5 Felony Arrests, 38 Hospital Trips
On top of the five felony arrests, there were six misdemeanors and 38 trips to the hospital, mostly alcohol-related, reports say.
TAMPA, FL — This weekend's Gasparilla Pirate Fest saw some celebrity participation and had a few mishaps. Jon Stewart rode on a float with wounded veterans, Vincent Lecavalier was injured (minorly) in a bus accident and several festival goers got a bit rowdy, yielding nearly a dozen arrests.
Thousands (more than 300,000 were expected) descended on downtown Tampa Saturday for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest, the third largest parade in the country, ranking only behind the Rose Bowl parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
The mostly orderly event saw a total of 11 arrests and 38 people had to be taken to the hospital. The arrests included five felonies and six misdemeanors. The 38 hospital trips were mostly for alcohol-related minor injuries, according to Tampa Police.
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Three of the felony arrests were for violent crimes. One was arrested on a domestic battery charge and two were arrested on charges of battery on an officer. The other arrests involved two men accused of standing on a police cruiser and damaging it.
See more on Patch: Gasparilla Pirate Fest Draws Thousands To Downtown Tampa: Watch
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The parade was delayed after a charter bus pile-up on the Selmon Expressway. Three people suffered minor injuries, including former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier.
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart joined the festivities, riding on the Warrior Games float with several local wounded veterans. Touring Central Florida reports 11 wounded veteran athletes were celebrating, having performed in the Warrior Games and the Invictus Games, an international contest for wounded veterans created by Prince Harry, an Afghanistan veteran himself.
"The vast majority of people at the parade were well-behaved and had a great time," said Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan in a press release. "Once again the city put on a great show. A lot of people work hard to make this a safe and fun event. I think the parade goers really appreciate that."
Video credit: City of Tampa /// Photo credit: Google Street View screenshot
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