After Wheelchair Incident, Carson Briere Signs With Team in Slovakia

Carson Briere, who was seen on video pushing an empty wheelchair down a staircase in March, has signed a contract to play hockey in Slovakia.

Carson Briere, 23, is the son of Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere. Carson Briere will play for HC 19 Humenne in Tipos Extraliga, Slovakia’s elite league. He signed the deal last week according to the Erie Times-News.

Briere, a forward, was dismissed from Mercyhurst University’s hockey team after the March 11 incident at Sullivan’s Pub in Erie. Security video released to social media showed Briere at the top of the staircase with Mercyhurst lacrosse player Patrick Carrozzi. They stood next to an empty wheelchair before Briere pushed the wheelchair down the steps.

The wheelchair belonged to Sydney Benes, 22, who left the wheelchair at the top of the stairs when she was helped down the stairs to a restroom. Benes was wheelchair-bound after her legs were amputated after a 2021 automobile accident according to the Erie Times-News.

Briere and Carrozzi were charged with second-degree misdemeanors of criminal mischief in April.

Each man waived charges during a preliminary hearing in May, according to the Erie Times-News. Their cases are in the court system and they are awaiting word on a trial or plea deal. There were no injuries in the incident but there was about $2,000 in damages to the wheelchair, which led to the charges, according to the newspaper.

According to the newspaper, Briere and Carrozzi applied for Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition last month. ARD is a state program that gives a district attorney the right to dismiss the records of people charged if they complete the program. A guilty plea is not necessary to complete the program.

Carson Briere apologized soon after the incident, in a statement: “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.”

Daniel Briere said in a statement in March: “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 on treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior.”