Back in January, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Brookline, Massachusetts, Detective Duane Arthur Danforth for allegedly hitting a sheriff’s deputy at EPCOT. Detective Danforth was placed on paid administrative leave by the Brookline Police Department while it looked into the alleged incident at Disney World.
According to NBC 10 Boston, Duane Danforth attempted to enter a private event at EPCOT’s United Kingdom pavilion. After a cast member told him he could not enter the event, Danforth refused to leave the area. The cast member alerted Disney security.
When Disney security arrived and told Danforth he would have to go around the private event, he allegedly threatened to kill the Disney security guard. He pushed past him into the event, attempting to disappear into the crowd.
According to reports, witnesses said that Detective Danforth was belligerent and appeared to be intoxicated. He was also carrying a young girl in his arms.
Orange County officers took Danforth into custody, and he was charged with resisting arrest and battery for hitting two EPCOT cast members and a police officer.
However, the Orange County prosecutor’s office has dropped those charges. According to Brookline News, the officials decided not to take action against Danforth due to his “standing in this community, his entry into a residential program to address his PTSD and alcohol issues, and other mitigating evidence presented.”
The Brookline Police Department has chosen to suspend Danforth for 30 days, 12 of which will be served immediately and the remainder at a later date if any other incidents occur. He has been on paid leave since the incident, but the suspension will be without pay.
The Brookline Police Department said it considered his exemplary service record and his time with the force when deciding to suspend Danforth for only 12 days.
The Brookline Police Detective has been with the Force for 14 years and was named “Police Officer of the Year” in 2021. Before Danforth can return to the Brookline Police Department, he must meet with officials at the POST Agency, a Massachusetts Department that certifies all police officers in the state.
The post He Hit a Cast Member and a Cop While Carrying a Child, so Why Were the Charges Dropped? appeared first on Inside the Magic.
