The girl who had her wheelchair inexplicably shoved down a flight of stairs by an NHL staff exec and ex-player’s son has spoken out in regards to the surprising incident captured on digicam—saying she plans to not settle for “a cent” of the roughly $9,000 that’s been raised for her.
Sydney Benes, 22, tweeted late Wednesday night time that she’s “so grateful” for the assist of employees on the pub—Sullivans in Erie, Pennsylvania—and to the a whole lot of messages of assist she’s acquired.
“It was my chair that was pushed down the steps,” Benes posted. “I’m so grateful for all of Sullivan’s assist on this scenario and the type feedback I see on Julia’s put up. I swear I actually don’t wanna preserve a cent of the donated cash, I’d a lot moderately give it to those that want it.”
Sydney Benes and Nathaniel Sanders at Sullivans, a bar in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Nathaniel Sanders/GoFundMe
A GoFundMe for Benes, organized by the bar’s safety supervisor, Nathaniel Sanders, says she’s a double amputee who depends on a wheelchair to get round as she learns to make use of her prosthetics.
Sanders stated he’s the one who carried Benes to the bar’s first ground on Saturday so she may use the lavatory—briefly leaving her wheelchair unattended on the high of a staircase. Seconds later, school hockey participant Carson Brière, the 23-year-old son of Philadelphia Flyers interim normal supervisor Daniel Brière, hopped within the wheelchair whereas seemingly joking with a buddy. He then stood up and shoved the wheelchair down a staircase as he and the opposite man smirked.
The duo shortly walked towards the bar’s dance ground after making the push.
The incident was captured by safety cameras and was shared to Twitter, the place it’s been seen 33 million occasions since Tuesday morning.
“I normally don’t put up something severe on my Twitter however one thing occurred Saturday night time and (I) simply can’t abdomen the considered this child getting away with it,” Julia Zukowski wrote within the tweet, which additionally recognized Brière by title.
Mercyhurst College, the small Catholic college the place Brière has been a standout heart since 2021, launched an announcement to admonish his habits however didn’t announce any punishment.
“The actions displayed within the video make our hearts heavy and fall in need of our Mercy perception within the inherent dignity of every individual,” the assertion stated. “We pray for and are in solidarity with the sufferer and all individuals with disabilities.”
The varsity’s athletic division stated Wednesday that Brière and two different unnamed scholar athletes have been suspended from staff actions because it investigates what occurred. The hockey season for Mercyhurst ended earlier this month, nonetheless, so Brière isn’t at imminent danger to overlook any video games.
Each Brière and his dad apologized in separate statements launched Wednesday.
“There is no such thing as a excuse for my actions and I’ll do no matter I can to make up for this severe lack of judgment,” the youthful Brière’s assertion learn partially.
“I used to be shocked to see Carson’s actions within the video shared on social media yesterday,” Brière’s father wrote in his assertion. “They’re inexcusable and run utterly counter to our household’s values on treating folks with respect. Carson could be very sorry and accepts full accountability for his habits.”
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Saturday’s incident isn’t the primary time Brière has been in scorching water along with his collegiate staff. He was kicked off Arizona State College’s hockey staff as a redshirt freshman for being a serial partier, he advised College Hockey News. Mercyhurst was going to be his second probability.
“I used to be simply going out; I wasn’t taking hockey significantly,” Brière stated in 2021 about his launch from ASU. “It wasn’t something unhealthy, it was simply not being dedicated to hockey, I used to be extra dedicated to having enjoyable in school. An excessive amount of partying, that’s most likely one of the best ways to place it.”
The wheelchair’s plunge resulted in a damaged armrest and different elements bent, FOX 59 reported.
Benes didn’t reply to interview requests from The Each day Beast.
Native information experiences point out that Brière was shortly recognized because the individual behind the push on Saturday night time. “I grabbed him on the shoulders and stated, ‘I’ve received video of you tossing a wheelchair down the steps, prefer it’s time to go,’” Sanders advised WJET.
Sullivans, the place the incident occurred, was constructed earlier than the People with Disabilities Act was signed into legislation in 1990, Sanders stated, and was thus grandfathered in to have solely first-floor bogs and no elevator. He stated safety has to hold anybody down the steps and again up if they should use the lavatory however can’t make the journey on their very own.
Sanders additionally recognized the second one who appeared to assist Brière push the wheelchair as Patrick Carozzi, a lacrosse participant at Mercyhurst.
No prison costs have been introduced by police in Erie for both athlete, although Benes’ GoFundMe says she filed a police report this week.
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