The on-again, off-again boyfriend of late Hollywood star Hayden Panettiere has been detained by police alongside his brother just under a month after the actress’s death.
Police attended a restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina, after receiving reports of an “altercation” about 9.10pm on Saturday, local time.
A number of patrons were detained by police, including Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach.
“During the investigation, officers determined that Zach was highly intoxicated,” a spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department (GPD) told 7NEWS.com.au.
“He began yelling profanities in a public setting, and as a result, he was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and transported to the Greenville County Detention Centre.”
Brian was only briefly detained but was released by police at the scene.
Footage obtained by TMZ shows Brian being carried out of the restaurant while in an argument with other patrons.
He was then filmed handcuffed and surrounded by several police officers outside the venue with what appears to be blood on his face.
“GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” he yelled while being detained.
Local police said Brian was not arrested and was released soon after, while Zach was allegedly highly intoxicated and was swearing, which led to him being arrested, TMZ reports.
Zach was the one who discovered Panettiere’s body at a Greenville home on August 16 and told the outlet he had administered naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.
Despite the best efforts from paramedics, Panettiere died at the scene at the age of 36.
Domestic violence history
Panettiere’s romantic relationship with Hickerson, an aspiring actor from South Carolina, appeared to end in 2020 amid allegations of domestic violence.
She wrote about some of those experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was published three months before she died.
In the book, Panettiere wrote that one night, Hickerson beat her so badly that she did not leave the house for weeks. She wrote that she hesitated to report the alleged abuse to police because she did not want the public to find out.
Hickerson was arrested on May 2, 2019, based on an allegation of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, according to Los Angeles County criminal court records.
He pleaded no contest on April 20, 2021, and was sentenced the next year to four years’ probation.
Panettiere requested a restraining order against Hickerson on July 14, 2020. The court docket reviewed by NBC News does not identify the victim in the case of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, and the outcome of the request for a restraining order is unclear from the case record.
In a statement in 2020, Panettiere said she was going public about the abuse to inspire others in abusive relationships to seek help.
“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again,” Panettiere said.
Days after Panettiere’s death Hickerson addressed through his lawyer, Sloan Ellis.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” the statement provided to TMZ said.
“As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.
“Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
From child star to struggling mum
Panettiere entered showbiz as a toddler and rose to international fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit sci-fi series Heroes from 2006 to 2010.
She had opened up about her struggles in the months prior to her death, revealing she suffered postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, who was given sole custody.
Panettiere’s estranged mother Lesley Vogel also said Panettiere had suffered from a mystery condition that left her in agony.
The actress had “pins in needles” in her lower extremities that made it difficult for her to walk, and went to a number of doctors and tried massage and acupuncture treatments in a bid to ease her suffering, Vogel said.
Vogel claimed the Nashville star wondered whether the mysterious condition was linked to injuries she suffered while working in Hollywood as a child.
Police are still investigating the star’s passing and are yet to release an official cause of death.
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