Carson Briere, son of Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere, was charged with criminal mischief after security cameras at an Erie, Pennsylvania bar recorded him shoving a woman’s wheelchair down a staircase on March 11, 2023. The Danny Briere son wheelchair incident drew millions of views online, cost Carson his spot on the Mercyhurst University hockey team, and ended in December 2023 with 15 months of probation through a first-time offender diversion program.
What Happened at Sullivan’s Pub
Carson Briere, then a 24-year-old senior forward at Mercyhurst University, was at Sullivan’s Pub & Eatery near campus on the night of March 11, 2023. Security footage from the bar shows him standing at the top of a narrow staircase beside an unoccupied wheelchair. He sits in it briefly, stands up, and pushes it down the stairs before walking back toward the dance floor.1CBC News. Carson Briere Pushing Wheelchair Down Stairs at Bar The chair was found damaged at the bottom.
A second Mercyhurst student-athlete, 22-year-old lacrosse player Patrick Carrozzi, was also involved and later faced identical charges.2GoErie. Carson Briere, Ex-Mercyhurst Students Get ARD in Wheelchair Incident
Whose Wheelchair It Was
The chair belonged to Sydney Benes, a Mercyhurst student and double amputee who lost her legs in a 2021 car accident. She used the wheelchair while learning to walk with prosthetics and had left it unattended while inside the bar.3ABC News. Mercyhurst University Student Whose Wheelchair Was Pushed Down Stairs
Benes told the court at the December 2023 hearing that the episode stripped her of the “little bit of control” over her life she had left after the accident. She said she heard from hundreds of people with disabilities after the video spread and wanted to use the attention as advocacy. “We are treated like things, like second-class citizens; we’re not treated with respect,” she said.3ABC News. Mercyhurst University Student Whose Wheelchair Was Pushed Down Stairs A GoFundMe was set up on her behalf. No civil lawsuit against Briere or Carrozzi was publicly reported.
Disability rights advocate Emily Ladau, author of Demystifying Disability, called the incident “a frightening example of complete disregard for the humanity of disabled people,” noting that for wheelchair users the chair is “an extension of my body.” Chanel Keenan, a former NHL consultant, said power chairs can cost as much as half a new car and often take six months or more to replace.4Yahoo Sports Canada. Carson Briere, Son of Flyers GM, in Disturbing Wheelchair Video
The Criminal Charges and Sentence
On March 20, 2023, Erie County prosecutors filed three charges against Carson Briere by mail summons: criminal mischief (a misdemeanor), conspiracy to commit criminal mischief (a misdemeanor), and disorderly conduct (a summary offense). Carrozzi was charged with second-degree misdemeanor criminal mischief.5USA Today. Carson Briere Faces Three Charges in Wheelchair Incident
On December 19, 2023, Erie County Judge John J. Mead approved applications from both defendants to enter Pennsylvania’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, known as ARD. The program is designed for first-time, nonviolent offenders and substitutes probation for a trial. Both men received 15 months of probation. Briere’s criminal mischief charge went into the ARD program, and his two other charges were dismissed with conditions.6CBC News. Carson Briere Hockey Wheelchair Charge Sentence
Briere’s attorney said his client had paid for the damage to Benes’ wheelchair, received counseling, and volunteered with a disabled veterans hockey club before the hearing.7Toronto Sun. Flyers GM’s Son Receives Probation for Pushing Wheelchair Down Stairs Carrozzi’s lawyer described the episode as “an isolated incident wholly out of character.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Lightner told the court that the defendants were not “evil” but said the community should “expect better from people who will be future leaders.”2GoErie. Carson Briere, Ex-Mercyhurst Students Get ARD in Wheelchair Incident Both apologized to Benes in court.
Successful completion of ARD lets participants have the underlying charges dismissed and their records expunged.8Montgomery County, PA. ARD Program Briere’s probation would have ended around March 2025; no public reporting has confirmed whether expungement was completed.
What It Cost Him at Mercyhurst and After
Mercyhurst placed Briere and two other student-athletes on interim suspension within days of the incident, pending an investigation by the university’s Office of Student Conduct and its Department of Police and Safety. The school said the conduct fell short of its belief “in the inherent dignity of each person.”9Sportsnet. Son of Flyers GM Briere Among Three Mercyhurst Students Suspended After Wheelchair Incident On April 3, 2023, Mercyhurst announced that Briere had been dismissed from the men’s hockey team.10ABC News. Court Date Looms as Briere Dismissed From Mercyhurst Hockey Team He had been set to return as a senior for the 2023-24 season.
Briere had been a productive college player, recording 23 goals and 36 assists in 82 games at Mercyhurst and earning Freshman of the Year honors on the team in 2020-21.11Mercyhurst Athletics. Carson Briere Roster Page After his dismissal he entered the transfer portal but turned pro instead, signing with HC 19 Humenne in Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga for the 2023-24 season.12GoErie. Carson Briere Signs With HC 19 Humenne in Slovakia He continues to play in Europe and is listed with EC Peiting in Germany’s third-tier league.13Elite Prospects. Carson Briere Player Profile
Danny Briere’s Response
The timing was pointed. Daniel Briere had been named the Flyers’ interim general manager on March 10, 2023, one day before his son’s conduct at Sullivan’s Pub. He issued a written statement calling the actions “inexcusable.” “I was shocked to see Carson’s actions in the video that was shared on social media yesterday. They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family’s values of treating people with respect,” he said.14Philadelphia Inquirer. Carson Briere, Daniel Briere, Wheelchair, Mercyhurst University, Flyers The Flyers organization did not issue a separate institutional statement beyond his personal remarks.15Sportsnet. Son of Flyers GM Briere Apologizes After Wheelchair Video Goes Viral
Carson issued his own apology: “I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday. There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgment.”16CBS News Philadelphia. Carson Briere Wheelchair Push at Bar
Two months after the incident, on May 11, 2023, the Flyers removed the interim tag and named Daniel Briere the team’s permanent general manager, a position he still holds.17The New York Times / The Athletic. Flyers Daniel Briere GM Roster Playoffs