0:00
- ABC News
- March 20, 2023
Mercyhurst University wheelchair victim speaks out
The incident occurred March 11 at Sullivan's Pub in Erie, Pennsylvania.
While there has been a GoFundMe created for Benes, she said she didn't intend to keep all of the money raised to replace the broken wheelchair even though the goal was exceeded. Instead, she wants to donate the money to other causes and hopes this is an opportunity for change and fair treatment of people who are disabled.
\"I can use it to show people what we go through, what we have to deal with, and how we wish to be treated,\" she said. \"We are treated like things, like second-class citizens; we're not treated with respect.\"
Mercyhurst University said Carson Briere and two other student-athletes were placed on an interim suspension from their athletic teams, per school policy, pending the outcome of the investigation. Briere has issued an apology.
\"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,\" he said.
Briere's father, interim Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere, also issued a statement of apology on his son's behalf.
\"I was shocked to see Carson's actions in the video that was shared on social media. They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family's values of treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior,\" he said.
ABC News reached out to the Erie Police Department for comment on the investigation and has not heard back.
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