Pa. College Hockey Player Suspended for Throwing Disabled Woman's Wheelchair Down Stairs of Bar
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar Mercyhurst University
A Pennsylvania college hockey player has been suspended from his team after surveillance footage surfaced of him pushing an empty wheelchair down the stairs of a crowded bar.
Carson Briere, a junior at Mercyhurst University and the son of former NHL player Danny Briere, has been suspended by the school along with two other players on the hockey team, reported the Erie Times-News.
Police are investigating the incident, which could result in criminal charges for the 23-year-old Briere, the outlet added, after the surveillance video was posted to Twitter on Tuesday.
In the video, a man identified as Briere is shown talking with two other young males. After briefly sitting in an empty wheelchair, which was positioned in front of the stairs, Briere is seen getting up and then pushing it down the stairs.
The video has been viewed more than 37 million times as of Friday morning.
I usually don’t post anything serious on my twitter but something happened Saturday night and just can’t stomach the thought of this kid getting away with it. In the video below is a @MercyhurstU student and is currently on the @HurstMensHockey team. Carson Briere. pic.twitter.com/kWWlEYEc7V
— julia (@juliazukowski) March 14, 2023
Mercyhurst is investigating the alleged inappropriate student conduct, as well as the Erie police and Erie County District Attorney's Office, after a police report was filed, per the Times-News. A representative for the D.A.'s office did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for additional information.
"We were obviously disgusted to see this," Rick Filippi, a co-owner of Sullivan's Pub & Eatery where the incident happened, told the newspaper about the video.
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GoFundMe Sydney Benes
Briere was dropped from the Arizona State University hockey team in 2019 for violating team rules before he transferred to Mercyhurst a year later, the newspaper added.
On Wednesday, he apologized for his role in the incident.
"I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday," he said. "There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgment."
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GoFundMe Carson Briere
His father, who was named the interim general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers last week, also offered an apology.
"I was shocked to see Carson's actions in the video shared on social media yesterday," Danny Briere said in a statement. "They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family's values on treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior."
Hi im Sydney and it was my chair that was pushed down the stairs. I’m so thankful for all of Sullivan’s help in this situation and the kind comments I see on Julia’s post. I swear I really don’t wanna keep a cent of the donated money, I’d much rather give it to those who need it. pic.twitter.com/1I5q05jdeO
— Sydney (@_legless_wonder) March 16, 2023
Meanwhile, Sydney Benes, a double amputee whose wheelchair was involved in the incident, shared her side of the story on Twitter Wednesday.
In response to a GoFundMe started on her behalf, Benes said she was thankful for the support from Sullivan's, but that she isn't interested in receiving any compensation as a result.
"I swear I really don't wanna keep a cent of the donated money, I'd much rather give it to those who need it," she wrote.
