Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 13

Brian Hickerson Involved in Sept. 12 Bar Altercation as Brother Faces Disorderly Conduct Charge

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 13

Brian Hickerson Involved in Sept. 12 Bar Altercation as Brother Faces Disorderly Conduct Charge

Q: What triggered the Hickerson brothers' public brawl just weeks after they made the 911 call for the late actress?

The brawl appears to have been triggered by alleged heckling about Hayden Panettiere’s death. Police have not publicly identified a formal motive, but video and witness accounts cited by TMZ and echoed by other outlets indicate the confrontation escalated after Brian and Zach Hickerson had been drinking for hours at Greenville’s Wild Wing Cafe. Brian then went to speak with other patrons, and an argument broke out. Footage reportedly shows one of the brothers throwing or slinging a stool or chair as tensions flared. A key clue came after police intervened. While handcuffed, Brian Hickerson was heard shouting, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” suggesting he believed people were confronting or taunting him over details surrounding Panettiere’s death and its aftermath. That aligns with reports that the brothers were “boiling over” during alleged heckling tied to her death. What is confirmed by police is narrower: officers responded to a reported assault, found several people involved in an altercation, detained multiple patrons, released Brian without charges, and arrested Zach Hickerson for disorderly conduct after determining he was highly intoxicated and yelling profanities in public. So, based on the available reporting, the immediate spark was an argument with other bar patrons, with the most widely reported explanation being alleged taunts or heckling related to Panettiere’s death just weeks after the brothers made the 911 call.

Q: Why did Brian Hickerson show no emotion during his girlfriend's fatal emergency, and what is the DEA investigating?

There is no verified public explanation for why Brian Hickerson showed little visible emotion while paramedics were trying to save Hayden Panettiere. The only confirmed detail is from a redacted Greenville police report, which said Zach Hickerson was “very emotional” during the emergency response, while Brian did not appear emotional until EMS officially declared Panettiere dead. That observation, by itself, does not establish motive, guilt, or state of mind. The broader record suggests Brian and Zach were present when Panettiere was found unresponsive, and Zach later said Brian administered Narcan and helped perform CPR while 911 was on speaker. Police also reported that Brian showed officers a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking. Officials have said there were no visible signs of trauma and no immediate evidence of foul play, but the cause and manner of death remain pending toxicology and further testing. The DEA is assisting Greenville police in examining possible drug-related aspects of Panettiere’s death. Reporting indicates investigators are focused on whether controlled substances, prescription medications, or an overdose played a role, and, if so, where any such drugs may have come from. Dispatch audio referenced a possible overdose, and federal agents are reportedly reviewing medications and potential suppliers, but authorities have not publicly announced any charges or a final finding.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 13

Greenville police said Brian Hickerson was among several patrons detained after a Sept. 12 altercation at Wild Wing Cafe, where video showed him bloodied, handcuffed and throwing a bar stool before officers released him without charges.
Zachary Hickerson, identified by police as highly intoxicated and yelling profanities, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and taken to the Greenville County Detention Center.
The incident came less than a month after Hayden Panettiere, 36, was found dead in a Greenville residence on Aug. 16, with Brian and Zachary having called 911 after finding her unresponsive.
Panettiere's preliminary autopsy found no trauma, but her death remains under investigation, with the DEA assisting and her representatives urging the public to stop speculating about her final hours.