A student accused of throwing a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs in a bar has been handed his punishment after appearing in front of a judge.
Former Mercyhurst University student-athlete Carson S. Briere, 24, and Patrick Carrozzi, 22, both appeared in court in Erie, Pennsylvania this week after being charged for their involvement in the incident earlier this year.
The two men were caught on camera at Sullivan's Pub & Eatery, where Sydney Benes, who lost her legs in an automobile accident in 2021, had left her wheelchair at the top of the stairs while she went to the bathroom.
In the footage, Briere was seen sitting in the chair and rolling it around with Carrozzi before pushing the chair down the stairs at the bar.
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The video went viral after being shared online, prompting police to charge both students with criminal mischief related to damaged property, conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
Furious internet users also started a GoFundMe page for Benes, whose wheelchair was damaged in the incident.
On Tuesday (December 19), Briere, who is the son of Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere, and Carrozzi appeared before Erie County Judge John J. Mead for hearings on applications they made in response to the charges.
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The applications request Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, a special program for first-time, nonviolent offenders, as punishment for the incident.
Benes addressed the court during the hearing, explaining that her parents had always taught her to treat everyone with respect and kindness, but the incident showed her not everyone feels the same way.
She also described how people with disabilities had reached out to her in the wake of the incident to share their own stories of struggles they had faced.
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"Disabled people don't want special treatment or privileges. They just want to be treated like everyone else," she said.
Briere's lawyer, Chad Vilushis, told the judge that Briere provided funds to pay for the damages to Benes' wheelchair, and underwent counseling after the incident.
He also started volunteering with a hockey club for disabled veterans.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Lightner told Mead that the two students were not 'evil', but that the community should expect better from them.
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The Erie County District Attorney's Office had previously approved the applications made by the two defendants, and during Tuesday's hearing Mead signed them off, handing each former student 15 months on a second-degree misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.
If Briere and Carrozzi successfully complete the program, their charges will be dismissed and their records expunged.
Emily Brown