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During Gasparilla, A Case Of Boat Piracy

By GEORGE WILKENS and JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2008

Updated: 01/27/2008 11:22 pm

TAMPA - A Lutz man in a stolen boat rammed a Coast Guard vessel and tried to hit a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office vessel Saturday night as Gasparilla festivities were winding down, Hillsborough County deputies say.

Deputies arrested Mark Koert, 27, about 9:15 p.m. Saturday.

While patrolling near Davis Islands about 7:20 p.m., deputies tried to stop a 27-foot 2006 Maxum boat, an arrest report says. The $117,000 Maxum didn't have its running lights on and was traveling faster than the designated no-wake speed. When a deputy tried to stop the boat, Koert continued south toward Tampa Bay.

Koert's boat narrowly missed two vessels before trying to ram the sheriff's office boat, according to the report. Koert tried to strike that boat more than a dozen times during the pursuit, the affidavit says.

According to the sheriff's office, the Maxum twice rammed a 25-foot Coast Guard vessel that was assisting. Aiming for the vessel's engine, Deputy Paul Shute fired two rounds from his .40-caliber Glock, a standard marine unit procedure to disable the motor. Coast Guard officers also fired shots, according to the sheriff's office.

The Maxum, pursued by boats from both agencies, stopped near the Platt Street Bridge, where it was unable to maneuver through shallow water.

A sheriff's office news release issued Saturday said Koert was drunk at the time. However, the arrest report did not say he was impaired.

The boat was reported stolen while the pursuit was under way. The boat had been moored near the Tampa Convention Center when it was taken, according to the arrest affidavit.

No one was injured in the incident.

Koert, of 24640 Siena Drive, was arrested on a charge of grand theft of $100,000 or more, fleeing to elude, reckless or careless operation of a vessel and two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

He was released from the Orient Road Jail on Sunday on $38,000 bail.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at gwilkens@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4847. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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