‘Disturbing': Son of Philadelphia Flyer’s GM hurls wheelchair down stairs

🏒 A college hockey player has gone viral for pushing a wheelchair down stairs

🏒 The athlete is the son of the Philadelphia Flyers' acting GM

🏒 Twitter users are debating whether the player should face assault charges

A college hockey player from Haddonfield is under investigation for throwing a disabled person's wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a bar.

Video posted to Twitter shows Mercyhurst University junior forward Carson Brière, 23, sitting in the wheelchair before dismissively pushing it down the stairs.

Brière, seen wearing a white hat backward, is the son of Philadelphia Flyers' acting General Manager Daniel Brière. Before retiring as a player, he helped the Flyers get to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010.

The video, posted by user Julia Zukowski, appears to be security footage from a bar near the university in Erie, Pennsylvania at 11:38 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 11. Zukowski said that she personally knew the owner of the wheelchair.

"I usually don’t post anything serious on my Twitter but something happened Saturday night and just can’t stomach the thought of this kid getting away with it," Zukowski said.

She added that the wheelchair's owner was in the bathroom at the time of the incident.

Mercyhurst University confirmed that the man in the white cap was a student-athlete at the school in a response to Zukowski on Twitter.

"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."

Before attending Mercyhurst, Brière was "dismissed" from the Arizona State University team. In an interview with College Hockey News, Brière said he was kicked for not focusing on his studies.

"Too much partying," Brière said to explain his dismissal from ASU, a school with a reputation for its party culture.

Should pushing a wheelchair be charged as assault?

The video has sparked outrage and debate among users on social media.

Some believe that breaking a disabled person's mobility aids or accommodations should be considered assault. Others called his actions "heartless" but nonviolent.

"Lame. It’s not an assault. It’s vandalism and rude, inappropriate, still a crime, but not an assault," another user wrote.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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