A Massachusetts State Police detective was arrested last month at Walt Disney World on suspicion of pushing a police officer while drunk and carrying a child, and threatening to kill the employee, according to reports.
Duane Danforth, 38, was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence. The incident happened at Epcot on Jan. 30, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Danforth is a detective with the Brookline Police Department in Boston and was off-duty at the time of his arrest, the department’s police chief confirmed. FOX 35 Orlando. He has been with the police force for 14 years and was named Officer of the Year in 2021, the New York Post reported.
An arrest affidavit states that deputies responded to an event space in Rockside, UK in reference to a shooting. When he arrived, he was met by a staff member who was working on a private event who told him a man had tried to enter the area but he was told to leave. The man, later identified as Danforth, allegedly returned and attempted to remove the rope.
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Duane Danforth booking photo. (Orange County Department of Corrections)
Danforth allegedly said “I’m going to kill you” twice before pushing the staff member away.
Another staff member who witnessed the crash said Danforth had “crazy eyes and appeared to be intoxicated” while holding the girl in his left arm. He also reported being pushed by Danforth.
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Police Officer Duane Danforth attends a ceremony in Brookline in 2013. (City of Brookline Facebook)
Epcot guests reportedly captured the scuffle on camera and shared the footage with Disney World’s convention guide coordinator, who also shared the footage with lawmakers.
Danforth is accused of shoving a deputy who tried to contact him. After his deputy regained his balance, Mr. Danforth was resisting and was taken to the ground and handcuffed.
The incident occurred on January 30, 2024 at Epcot. (St. Petersburg)
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Danforth said he knew the deputy was a law enforcement officer and acknowledged he should not have shoved him, according to the affidavit.
Danforth claims that officers approached him from behind before he was arrested, but the officers deny that.
He has been placed on administrative leave and will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
