Tiggers innocent-family flew SWA MHT to MCO

[LearLove]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeXbId2P6Yc&NR

if you look on the video at comcast.net (longer version) you can see the kid clearly doing something with his hand behind Tigger's back. He deserved it, the dad should have kicked the crap out of the kid also. Local news here in PHL (channel 3, 11pm news) showed family getting off SWA plane in MHT when they returned home (not a bash on SWA, just mentioned it to keep it in this forum).

 

[LearLove]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]"Tigger" suspended after allegedly hitting kid [/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Winnie [/FONT][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]the [/FONT][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Pooh's[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] striped sidekick Tigger -- well, a Walt Disney World employee dressed as the [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]cartoon[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] character -- has been suspended after a family alleged that he punched their 14-year-old son during a [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]home-video[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] session.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida said Saturday that it took a report from New [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Hampshire[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] resident Jerry Monaco Sr. stating that Tigger struck son Jerry Jr. on the head at about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The incident is alleged to have taken place at Disney-MGM Studios.

"He felt that Tigger essentially punched his son and he filed a police report," sheriff's spokesman Deputy Carlos M. Padilla told the [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Orlando[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] Sentinel. "Right now the allegation is that a battery occurred. Of course, we see a little of that [[COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]family [/FONT][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]video[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR]] tape, and we see what appears to be a battery. We need to talk to all sides to see exactly what happened."

Padilla identified the Tigger impersonator as Michael J. Fedelem, 31, of Kissimmee, Florida. [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Investigators[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] have not yet spoken with Fedelem, and the investigation is "ongoing," Padilla said.

Fedelem has been suspended until an internal investigation and the sheriff's criminal inquiry are completed, said Disney officials.

"We received a complaint that a character allegedly struck a guest," said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez. "Naturally, a physical altercation between characters and guests is not tolerated."

Fedelem could not be reached for comment Saturday evening.

Jerry Monaco Sr. taped Friday's confrontation, and the family decided to approach police after they reviewed the footage, Padilla said.

The father said Fedelem intentionally hit his son "on or about the head," said Padilla. "The tape only shows a fraction of what happened. Now it's up to us to find out what led up to that."

According to the Sentinel, the Monacos' home video shows a very tall Tigger standing next to Jerry Monaco Jr. while his mother and [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]two [/FONT][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]brothers[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] kneel or stand in front of the big cat. Within seconds, Tigger grabs and [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]locks[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] the teen's left arm with his right arm, then throws a left jab at Jerry Jr.'s face.

Although the Monacos could not be reached Saturday at their Greenville, N.H. home, the two Jerry Monacos told TV reporters that Tigger's rabbit punch was unprovoked.

"At first, I thought he was kidding and all, just playing around, and then when he actually grabbed my arm," said Jerry Jr.

The family's Disney vacation also took a beating, observed Jerry Sr. "You don't come here for this, I mean, Disney is supposed to be a safe place. It's supposed to be a place that you come and enjoy with your family," the father said.

"At first, I was upset at my son. "I thought he did something to Tigger. But then I reviewed it and it is pretty clear; for no reason, he just clocked him in the face."

"How hard did he hit you, (son)?" he asked.

"Pretty hard," Jerry Jr. replied. "I could still feel it even though he was wearing the padded gloves."

Monaco said he had his arm around the costumed character when the attack occurred. "No provoking at all. It was just out of the blue."

Disney officials called the family, said WKMG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida.

"I just wanted to follow up with you and let you know that we have spoken to the cast member in question and have reacted very strongly toward him," a man identifying himself as Jean Erik Redrupp, general manager of park operations at [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Disney-MGM [/FONT][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Studios[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR], said in a phone recording.

"The general manager apologized to me," said Monaco Sr. "Everybody will come up and apologize to me but Tigger. He won't be a man about it and get out of the costume and come out and apologize to my son.

"I didn't want VIP treatment. I didn't want an extra day at Disney. I didn't want any of that. I wanted him to apologize, and that is the one thing that they won't do."

This is the second time in almost three years that a Disney worker dressed as Tigger has landed in trouble.

In February 2004, a 13-year-old girl and her mother reported that a costumed Tigger groped their breasts during a photo session at Magic Kingdom's Toon Town.

Sheriff's officials arrested Michael Chartrand, 38. However, he was reinstated as a [COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#990000! important][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Disney[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] employee after a jury found the man not guilty.

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[skiandsurf]

Looks like a million dollar settlement ought to make it feel better.


Just kidding, I doubt that Tigger goes around taking cheap shots at kids for unprovoked reasons. That kids left arm was doing something that the video doesnt show.



And $2.71 for gas. Thats kind of steep.

 

[FR8mastr]

If you watch tiggers right arm, he is grabbing the kids left arm with it. It looks like the kid was trying to get the tigger head off. I also dont think tigger hit the kid at all, he was just spinning around trying to stop his head from being removed. If you watch the slo mo you will see tiggers chin rise sharply as he was spinning around. The little punk was trying to pull his head off to the rear.

 

[tomcat]

Clocking brats in the face-that's what Tiggers do best! Who-hoo!

Kid deserved it.

 

[m80drvr]

Another white trash american family trying to get rich quick. I'm sure hundreds of lawyers are in line to take this case. I can here it now. "No sir my son was not being an a$$hole, the cartoon character hit him out of the blue."

Funny if I had done that when I was a kid my dad, god rest his soul, would have disciplined me and thanked tigger for batting me. I have to thank all the parents out there that think their kids do no wrong and everyone else is wrong. Great example. Remember these children will be in charge of the country when we retire. God Help us all.

 

[Phaedrus]

Idiocracy.

 

[canyonblue]

The real problem is he is 14 and posing with Tigger. When I was 14 I would rather have my picture taken with Marilyn Chambers.

 

[ils2minimums]

The real problem is he is 14 and posing with Tigger.

I think the real problem is a 14 year old kid wearing a muscle shirt with off-the-shoulder suspenders and fingerless gloves...

This video is proof-positive that there are trailer parks in New England.

 

[Itsallsogood]

I agree with Fr8. In addition, watch the kids eye contact when he descibes what his arm was doing. Liar. Also, dad knew something was wrong. He said it. It wasn't until after he reviewed the tape (that didn't show the brats intentions) that got dad the $$$ motives going.

There's "Pooh" when you need it.

 

[RDG]

If you look at Tigers heels, they are up against a concrete curb, so it looked like the kid was pulling on him and Tiger had to do something to keep from falling into that fence.

 

[GogglesPisano]

That cat was set up.

 

[SWA GUY]

Tigger can't see sh!t out that mask. If he could've, he would have thrown a gigantic Ike Turner on that kid's a$$.

If I was Tigger, I'd have given the kid an Iron Claw or a Hammer of Thor!


Ahh...memories of WWF!

 

[chimichanga]

Tigger, Please.

 

[ajhbubs84]

Tigger, Please.

awwwwww sh!t....

 

[TOOL CRIB]

Tigger, Please.

That's awesome! I'm going to copyright that name for the new up and coming Jay-Z children's album. I'll give you 5%