Actress Hayden Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend was arrested and charged with seven felonies in connection with a series of alleged domestic violence incidents involving the former “Nashville” star.
Brian Hickerson, 31, was arrested Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department and charged in a criminal complaint with eight counts regarding a series of alleged abusive cases that occurred between May 2019 and January 2020, according to the criminal complaint obtained by NBC News.
Four of the felony charges are defined as injury to a spouse / cohabitant, and two are for assault with a deadly weapon. Deadly weapons were defined as a garage floor and stairs, according to the complaint. He was also charged with one count of minor assault on a spouse / co-inhabitant.
He was also charged with a felony for dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime. He tried to “prevent and deter a crime victim and witness Hayden P. from causing a complaint, prosecution, information, parole, and parole violation to be sought and prosecuted and to assist in prosecuting them,” according to the complaint.
Panettiere, 30, also filed Tuesday to file an out-of-state restraining order obtained in Wyoming to be enforced in California against Hickerson, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
“I am moving forward with the truth about what happened to me in the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” Panettiere said in a statement to TODAY. “I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I am grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”
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Hickerson’s bail is set at $ 320,000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was prosecuted on Friday and pleaded not guilty, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 30.
Hickerson did not immediately respond to TODAY’s request for comment, and it was not immediately clear whether Hickerson hired an attorney.
Panettiere’s attorney, Alan Jackson, also made a statement to TODAY.
“After suffering for years as a victim of severe psychological, emotional and physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of reclaiming his life,” he said. “Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about his abuse and his abuser, and he intends to help the prosecution see justice done. As a survivor, he acknowledges that his arduous healing journey has just begun. “
Panettiere has reported alleged incidents of domestic violence by Hickerson to the Los Angeles Police Department, the Teton County Sheriff in Wyoming and the Santa Monica Police Department since their 18 months together, the source said.
Hickerson was arrested by the Teton County Sheriff’s Office on Valentine’s Day after officers responded to a disturbance at a residence in Jackson, Wyoming, according to court documents. Panettiere told police that she and Hickerson were arguing and that “he hit her with a clenched fist on the right side of the face,” according to the police report.
Police said Panettiere’s face was red and swollen, and that he also had a scratch and swelling on his left hand, according to the report. He was charged with a couple of misdemeanors, domestic assault, and interference with a police officer, and his trial is scheduled for September after he pleaded not guilty in April.
Panettiere wrote in his petition for a protection order in Wyoming that similar incidents occurred in California and Puerto Rico. Panettiere wrote that “generally when it comes to alcohol,” Hickerson “tugs on my hair, rocks me and hits me, spits on my face, and throws water at me while I’m in bed,” according to documents filed for a restraining order. in California.
Panettiere was engaged to Wladimir Klitschko, with whom he has a 5-year-old daughter, Kaya.
