Erie, Pennsylvania (WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com) — A Mercyhurst student-athlete has gone viral throughout this week, but for all of the wrong reasons.
Employees at Sullivan’s Irish Pub confirmed the identity of the man to be Carson Briere, who was caught on security footage pushing the wheelchair of a disabled individual down a flight of stairs.
Briere is a junior at Mercyhurst University and he’s finding himself in hot water following a night out of partying in Erie.
As you can see, the person alleged to be Carson Briere sits down in a wheelchair, then gets up and pushes it down a flight of stairs at an Erie bar.
According to the time stamp on the video, it happened just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Sullivan’s Irish Pub is a one-story bar, and the stairs lead to the only restrooms at the facility.
You can watch the full video below:
The publisher of the video said that the handicapped individual had to be physically carried down the stairs that night, which is why the chair was left at the top.
Briere’s father is Daniel Briere, who played in the National Hockey League, scoring over 300 goals. He is now the interim general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mercyhurst University posted the following statement on Twitter last night that was linked to the video:
“Late this afternoon, Mercyhurst University became aware of a disturbing video in which one of our student- athletes is seen pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local establishment. Our office of student conduct and department of police and safety are investigating.”
Following the incident, an employee at Sullivan’s Pub said that he threw Briere out of the bar.
Wednesday afternoon, Mercyhurst issued another statement after Briere apologized, “Mercyhurst University has heard a considerable outcry regarding the social media video of student Carson Briere showing him pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs. Mr. Briere today issued a statement taking responsibility for his actions, and in doing so, he recognized his behavior reflects a ‘serious lack of judgment’ and that he is ‘deeply sorry.’ The actions displayed in the video make our hearts heavy and fall short of our Mercy belief in the inherent dignity of each person. We pray for and are in solidarity with the victim and all persons with disabilities who rightfully find actions like this to be deeply offensive. Our Mercy tradition also reminds us that students and all people who make poor choices deserve opportunities to learn, change behaviors, and atone for harmful actions.”
ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon that Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere also apologized in a statement, “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.”
Carson Briere’s full statement reads, “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.”
Stay with JET 24/FOX 66/YourErie.com for the latest updates on this story.
