Seafair pirate accused of inappropriate kiss during Daffodil Parade and she’s pressing charges

A marauding pirate has found himself in hot water after forcefully kissing a bus driver Saturday in Puyallup during the Daffodil Parade, according to police.

The man likely will face a fourth-degree assault charge after the incident, police Capt. Ryan Portmann said Monday.

The woman was a driver for one of the schools with students participating in the four-part parade, which left police little time to interview her before she had to take students to Sumner.

The pirate kissed two other bus drivers on the cheek, Portmann said.

“One of the pirates took the cheek kiss and advanced that to the lips, and she didn’t like that,” Portmann said about the third driver. “I guess it was pretty forceful.”

The pirate, associated with the Seafair float, then gave the woman his business card, police said. The Seafair float is known in part for the loud cannon it fires during the parade each year.

Daffodil Festival Executive Director Steve James learned of the incident Saturday night after the parade was complete and said the group is reviewing the incident.

The pirates’ website said Monday the man is no longer a Seafair pirate.

“It has been brought to our attention the inappropriate conduct of one our members at a community parade over the weekend,” the statement reads. “The Seattle Seafair Pirates condemn any behavior that places the safety of others in jeopardy and/or violates personal spaces and boundaries.”

Seafair Pirate President Danny Sullivan said he has not seen an incident like this in the five years he’s been with the club.

“This is, ugh, this is a strange one, you know?” he said.

The pirates have measures in place about being aware while working in crowds and interacting with people without violating their personal space, Sullivan said.

“We’re the center of attention, and there’s a very specific line you can’t ever cross,” he said. “In this particular situation, clearly there were some very strong personal boundaries that were crossed.”

Sullivan said he learned of the incident late Saturday, and the club dismissed the 15-year pirate the next day.

Police have not been able to verify the identity of the pirate.

The investigation is ongoing.

“This is a significant increase in pirate-related crime,” Portmann said. “To my knowledge, we’ve never had any problems with pirates, and I’ve been here 15 years.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Seafair pirate accused of inappropriate kiss during Daffodil Parade and she’s pressing charges."