The aspiring actor and Hayden Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend appears barely conscious in newly-released footage captured in West Hollywood last year.
ByTrey Alston
September 4, 2026
Key Takeaways
- New footage shows Brian Hickerson barefoot and barely responsive beneath a table during his August 2025 arrest at Barney’s Beanery, then spitting toward an officer after police handcuffed him.
- Witnesses alleged Hickerson broke a glass and threw a shoe at another patron, but prosecutors declined to file charges because of insufficient evidence.
- Hickerson faced another drug-related arrest four days later, and the footage emerged weeks after his ex-girlfriend Hayden Panettiere’s reported overdose death, which the DEA is investigating.
Footage of Brian Hickerson, the ex-boyfriend of Hayden Panettiere, being arrested in West Hollywood has now been released to the public.
TMZ has obtained video of Hickerson laying under a bar table, barely responsive, captured at Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood on August 2, 2025. In the footage, Hickerson can be seen spitting in the direction of a police officer — although, it’s not clear if it was intended to be aimed at them.
The clip begins with Hickerson already on his back beneath the table, barefoot, pressed against the wall. After officers pull him upright and place him in handcuffs, Hickerson, who appears barely conscious, appears to forcefully spit to his left, toward one of the officers holding him. A second deputy appears to respond sharply after it happens.
y broken a glass and thrown one of his shoes at another patron. A bar employee is claimed to have attempted to physically remove Hickerson but was unable to do so. Responding officers are said to have also had difficulty getting him out before ultimately arresting him outside the establishment
Prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges from the Barney’s Beanery incident, citing insufficient evidence. The bar’s owner confirmed Hickerson was not permanently banned and remains welcome to return.
The West Hollywood arrest was the first of two for Hickerson that month. A few days after the Barney’s Beanery incident, he was arrested again in West Hollywood on August 6, 2025 for allegations of being under the influence of a controlled substance. That case was dismissed after he entered a diversion program and completed 10 Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
The Barney’s Beanery footage surfaces just a few weeks after Hayden Panettiere was found dead in South Carolina at the age of 36, following what was described as an overdose.
Hickerson and his brother were both present, and Hickerson reportedly attempted to revive the Heroes actor with Narcan. The DEA has joined the investigation into her death.
