A 47-year-old United Kingdom man was arrested for battery after he was accused of shoving a teenage girl moving past him in line at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom.
The 18-year-old victim from St. Cloud told law enforcement she was trying to catch up with the rest of her party in the queue and passing people when she encountered Keith Newman.
She said he put his hands out to stop her from moving forward, the Orange County Sheriff’s arrest report said.
The victim said she tried to go around him, but “he pushed her back with both hands,” the arrest report said.
The victim fell backward into her friend. The victim got wet because she spilled her water bottle all over herself, the arrest report said. Otherwise, the victim wasn’t hurt and didn’t have any bruises or scratches on her, the arrest report said. She denied medical care.
The victim’s friend corroborated the story when interviewed by law enforcement.
The friend told authorities she heard Newman say, “There is a queue,” when he pushed the victim back with one arm. The friend said the victim “was not letting Keith push her back,” so Newman used both hands to shove her back this time.
Newman admitted to saying those words but argued he simply stuck his hand out, the arrest report said. Newman said the victim had “walked into his hand,” so that’s why the victim wasn’t hurt.
Newman denied pushing her. Authorities didn’t believe him.
“Due to all statements provided during my investigation, it was determined that probable cause exists to place Keith Richard Newman under arrest for the charge of battery,” the arrest report said from the Feb. 20 incident.
Newman pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of battery in February, according to Orange Circuit Court Records.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
WDWNT recently reported that a woman dumped her iced coffee over a stranger’s head on the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. Even at the Most Magical Place on Earth, law enforcement is often responding to arguments, fights, and outbursts between guests.
