A disabled woman whose wheelchair was pushed down a flight of stairs by Mercyhurst University men’s hockey center Carson Briere criticized his apology after the incident.
Briere, along with two other student athletes, was caught on camera pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down the stairs at Sullivan’s Pub in Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
In the video, Briere was seen taking a seat in the chair in a hallway at the top of a stairwell before shoving it down the stairs and walking back into the crowded bar.
Julia Zukowski shared the footage of the incident on social media.
The owner of the chair, who identified herself on social media as “Sydney,” criticized Briere in a series of tweets on Wednesday and said she will donate most of the $8,000 raised on GoFundMe for a new wheelchair after hers was damaged. Sydney praised the bar staff for their help and claimed that the college hockey player’s apology was “insincere.”
She also accused Briere and his friends of being entitled, spoiled, ignorant, and unacceptable.
Mercyhurst University’s athletic department announced that Briere and the two other student-athletes in the video were placed on interim suspension from their respective teams.
In a statement, Briere apologized for his behavior and promised to make up for his serious lack of judgment.
The school informed The Daily Mail that the Erie Police Department was taking over the investigation.
Sydney confirmed that she will use some of the GoFundMe money to repair the damaged chair, but the rest will be donated to the disabled community and to people who really need the help.
Carson Briere, a Philadelphia native and junior at Mercyhurst, played 30 games for the Lakers in the 2022-23 season, totaling five goals and eight assists.
He was dismissed from the men’s hockey team at Arizona State as a freshman in 2019 for violating team rules.
His father, Daniel Briere, played 17 seasons in the NHL, including six with the Flyers and a Stanley Cup appearance with Philadelphia in 2010.
He was recently named interim general manager of the team.
»Mercyhurst University Athletes Suspended After Pushing Wheelchair Down Stairs«
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