by A Texas man has been accused of pushing a stroller — with his child inside — toward a Disney employee and pushing her during a terse exchange before the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Guest accused of pushing stroller in shoulder and checking on cast member
Andrew Dixon, 35, of Flower Mound, Texas, was arrested Oct. 7 and charged with battery, according to public records.
His lawyer denied that Dixon committed any wrongdoing and blamed Disney for the incident.
“Mr. Dixon has pleaded not guilty and we plan to fight for him throughout the legal process,” Dixon’s attorneys at Darling Law said in a statement. “We believe that if contact took place, it was triggered by the Disney employee.”
After 8 p.m., a Disney cast member moved Dixon and his family away from a closed area near Cinderella Castle before the fireworks.
The actor said she “planted her feet and the man used his shoulder to push into her right shoulder,” the Orange County sheriff’s arrest report states. “The stroller containing the child was also used to push her, thereby crushing her feet.”
Dixon’s wife apologized to the actor, the arrest report states.
Another person – it is unclear whether they were a cast member or a guest – witnessed the incident.
The witness told the sheriff’s office that she saw “a family consisting of a man, a woman and a child in a stroller trying to get around the actor.” (The witness) observed the actor step in front of them, positioning himself approximately 2 feet in front of the family and informed the family that the bridge was closed and they would need to take an alternate route. (The witness) informed the man that he said something (the witness) could not discern, then used the stroller to push the actor away, thereby establishing contact with the actor . (The witness) indicated that the man used his left shoulder and arm to make contact with the actor. (The witness) then observed the man turn around and attempt to start saying something to the actor, then proceeded to “knock her over” as he walked away.
The witness found law enforcement to help him.
Dixon was found watching the fireworks with his family and spoke to authorities where he gave his side of the story.
Dixon denied intentionally touching the actor.
“Andrew was with his wife and child inside Magic Kingdom trying to find a location for the upcoming fireworks display. Andrew indicated that as he walked toward the bridge, he observed an actor attempting to direct traffic away from the bridge,” according to the arrest affidavit. “Andrew indicated that there were many other groups of people who had managed to surpass the actor, and he attempted to do the same. As he tried to get around the actor, Andrew advised the actor to lunge towards him, initiating contact with his chest against Andrew’s back in a sort of “chest bump” as Andrew tried to to make his way around it.
The arrest report states that Disney said there was no video surveillance to capture the incident, but Dixon’s attorneys were skeptical of that claim.
“During the investigation, Mr Dixon insisted that the video would prove his innocence. We have requested the video from Disney and the State Attorney, but have not yet received it. We want the video to be made public so that everyone can see that Mr. Dixon’s actions during the incident were not criminal in nature,” his lawyers said in a statement. “He also denies having committed any offensive action, as alleged in the police report.”
For the latest Disney Parks news and information, follow WDW News Today on TwitterFacebook and Instagram.
