Brian Hickerson Handcuffed After South Carolina Bar Fight Weeks After Hayden Panettiere’s Death

Less than a month after Hayden Panettiere’s death, her boyfriend Brian Hickerson found himself in another intense scene in Greenville, South Carolina — this time outside a crowded bar with police officers placing him in handcuffs.

Video from the Saturday night confrontation shows Hickerson arguing amid a chaotic altercation that began inside Wild Wing Cafe and later spilled outdoors. At one point, he can be heard shouting about the Greenville Police Department and accusing authorities of leaking information after Panettiere died.

Hickerson was ultimately released without being arrested.

His brother, Zach Hickerson, was not.

Police said Zach was taken into custody on a disorderly conduct charge after officers described him as highly intoxicated and said he began yelling profanities during the confrontation.

The incident comes as questions continue to surround Panettiere’s Aug. 16 death and as federal drug-enforcement authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding it.

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A Night at the Bar Turns Chaotic

The trouble reportedly began Saturday night at Wild Wing Cafe in Greenville.

Brian and Zach had allegedly been drinking for several hours at a table toward the back of the establishment before Brian went to the bar and began interacting with other patrons.

The situation then escalated.

According to people familiar with what happened, Brian suddenly picked up a bar stool and threw it backward.

Video from the restaurant captures another part of the confrontation. During an argument with other people inside, Brian can be seen being lifted into the air by someone standing behind him.

He was then carried toward the exit.

As the struggle unfolded, a bartender could be heard yelling for the person holding Brian to let him go.

The dispute did not stop once everyone reached the parking lot.

Greenville police officers were called to the scene following a report of an assault.

When officers arrived, they encountered Brian and Zach involved in an altercation with other people outside the restaurant.

Brian Was Handcuffed — but Not Arrested

At some point during the police response, officers placed Brian in handcuffs.

Video taken at the scene captured him shouting a statement that immediately connected the chaotic night back to Panettiere.

Brian yelled that the Greenville Police Department had “leaked it” when his girlfriend died.

His remark was an apparent reference to information surrounding Panettiere’s death, which remains the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Despite being restrained, Brian was not booked into jail.

Police eventually released him.

Zach’s interaction with officers ended differently.

Authorities said Zach appeared heavily intoxicated and began loudly shouting profanities. Officers arrested him for disorderly conduct and transported him to jail.

The brothers’ attorney had not responded publicly to requests for comment about the incident.

The Fight May Have Been Connected to Comments About Hayden

Additional video from before the larger fight reportedly shows tension building around Brian and Zach while people at the bar allegedly made comments about Panettiere’s death.

The footage appears to show the brothers growing increasingly agitated before the confrontation erupted.

That detail adds another emotional layer to the episode.

Panettiere had died only weeks earlier, and both brothers were directly connected to the final moments surrounding her death.

Brian was her boyfriend.

Zach was the person who discovered her body.

The events of Aug. 16 remain unresolved in several important ways.

Zach Found Panettiere Unconscious

Panettiere was found unresponsive in a Greenville apartment where she and Brian had been staying.

Zach later said that after finding her unconscious, Brian administered Narcan in an effort to revive her.

The attempt was unsuccessful.

Panettiere could not be resuscitated.

Her cause and manner of death have still not been publicly released.

The unanswered medical questions have kept attention focused on toxicology findings and the larger investigation into what happened before she became unresponsive.

Federal authorities have also become involved.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has opened an investigation connected to Panettiere’s death, adding another level of scrutiny to a case already drawing intense public attention.

Brian’s Outburst Revealed His Anger Toward Police

Against that backdrop, Brian’s statement while handcuffed outside the bar stood out.

His accusation toward Greenville police suggested that anger over the handling of information surrounding Panettiere’s death remains close to the surface.

The bar confrontation was not itself described as part of the investigation into her death.

But the two events became linked when Brian brought her up while officers were restraining him.

The timing made the moment particularly striking.

Only weeks earlier, Brian had been involved in unsuccessful efforts to revive Panettiere inside the Greenville apartment.

Now he was outside another Greenville establishment, surrounded by police, shouting about what he believed authorities had done after she died.

Two Brothers, Two Different Outcomes

The police response ultimately produced different consequences for Brian and Zach.

Brian was handcuffed during the disturbance but released.

Zach was arrested.

Police attributed Zach’s arrest to his behavior after officers arrived, saying his intoxication and repeated profanities led to the disorderly conduct charge.

No arrest was made against Brian in connection with the Saturday night confrontation.

The distinction is important because video of someone being handcuffed can create the impression that an arrest occurred. In Brian’s case, police detained him during the scene but did not take him to jail.

Questions Around Panettiere’s Death Remain

The confrontation at Wild Wing Cafe may have ended when police separated those involved, but the much larger story surrounding Brian remains unresolved.

Panettiere’s cause of death has not been announced.

The DEA investigation remains active.

And details about the final hours before she was found unconscious continue to receive intense scrutiny.

Now the bar incident has added another highly public scene to an already emotionally charged period.

Video shows an argument escalating inside the restaurant, Brian being physically carried out, police responding to an assault call and both brothers ending up in handcuffs.

But only Zach left in custody.

For Brian, the most revealing moment may have been what he shouted while officers restrained him.

Even in the middle of a completely separate confrontation, his anger returned to the same subject that has dominated the past several weeks: Hayden Panettiere’s death, the investigation surrounding it and what he believes happened after the tragedy became public.

The fight ended.

The questions surrounding Panettiere have not.