Masked man stunned, arrested after stealing houseboat on Mississippi River

MINNEAPOLIS — A masked man who stole a houseboat Sunday morning is behind bars, despite his claims of maritime law expertise.

John Elder, spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department, told WCCO that officers were called to Nicollet Island near downtown just before 10:30 a.m., where the motor-less houseboat had been moored on the island’s west side.

According to KARE, officers found the vessel upriver near Boom Island and the boat’s unauthorized captain wearing a full face mask.

After the unidentified man refused commands to return the boat to shore, an officer in full uniform waded out and grabbed the boat, the TV station reported.

The suspect told officers he had a right to the boat, citing maritime law, but refused to disembark the vessel, resulting in the use of a stun gun to subdue and remove him, KARE reported.

The man was booked into Hennepin County Jail on probable cause of felony theft while the investigation continues, WCCO reported.

Cox Media Group