A police report provides new details about Brian Hickerson’s presence when Hayden Panettiere died.
Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death at age 36 has drawn renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding her final hours, after a police report provided additional details about who was at the South Carolina residence when first responders arrived.
Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was at the Greenville, South Carolina, residence with his brother Zach Hickerson when emergency personnel responded on Aug. 16, according to the police report. The report also says Brian directed officers to a bag containing medication that Panettiere had been taking.
The details offer a closer look at what officers observed at the scene, although they do not establish the cause of Panettiere’s death or indicate that Hickerson was responsible for it.
What the police report says about Hayden Panettiere’s final moments
According to the report, responding officer Matthew Bryan encountered Brian and Zach Hickerson at the residence while emergency personnel were attempting to save Panettiere.
The officer described Zach as being “very emotional” while medical personnel were working on the actress. Brian, meanwhile, was not visibly emotional at first, according to the report. The officer wrote that Brian became emotional after Panettiere was pronounced dead.
Those observations are part of the responding officer’s account and should not be interpreted as evidence of what Brian was thinking or feeling. A person’s outward reaction during an emergency can vary significantly, and the report itself does not establish a motive or explanation for his behavior.
The officer also spent additional time speaking with Brian and noted that Zach referred to Panettiere as his brother’s girlfriend.
Authorities also indicated that surveillance footage existed showing Panettiere, Brian and Zach coming and going from the residence. The report said the footage would be uploaded as part of a supplemental report.
Brian Hickerson showed police a bag of medication
One of the more significant details in the police report concerns medication found at the residence.
Brian reportedly directed officers to a “bag of medication” that Panettiere had been taking. The names of the medications were not included in the publicly described details of the report.
That information became particularly relevant because Panettiere’s official cause of death had not been released at the time of the report. Dispatch audio from around the emergency response included officials discussing an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest, but those comments did not constitute an official determination of the actress’ cause of death.
The distinction is important. An emergency dispatch description can reflect what responders were told or observed during a rapidly developing medical emergency. It does not necessarily represent the final medical or forensic conclusion.
Police had already confirmed Hickerson was at the residence
A law enforcement source had previously confirmed that Brian Hickerson was with Panettiere when she died.
Panettiere and Hickerson had a complicated relationship that began publicly in 2018. The pair were linked on and off over the years, and they were photographed together again in March 2026 at Los Angeles International Airport.
Their relationship had previously attracted significant media attention because of Hickerson’s legal history and Panettiere’s public comments about that period of her life.
The police report therefore added another layer to an already closely watched story, particularly because Hickerson was among the people present when emergency responders arrived.
However, his presence at the residence alone does not establish involvement in Panettiere’s death.
Hayden Panettiere had spoken publicly about her difficult years
Panettiere had previously been open about some of the struggles she experienced during the years surrounding her relationship with Hickerson.
In earlier comments, the actress described that period as a “very dark and complicated time in my life.” She had also spoken publicly about her struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction.
Following Hickerson’s 2020 arrest on domestic violence charges, Panettiere issued a statement explaining why she decided to speak about her experience.
She said at the time that she hoped sharing what happened to her would encourage other people in abusive relationships to seek help and support.
Her comments became an important part of the public record surrounding the couple’s relationship and are relevant background when looking at the history between Panettiere and Hickerson.
Hickerson’s previous legal history
Brian Hickerson faced multiple arrests during his relationship with Panettiere, including domestic violence-related cases in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts involving injury to a partner related to the 2020 case. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of formal probation, domestic violence classes, restitution and a five-year protective order.
He ultimately served 13 days in jail, while other charges were dropped. The 2019 domestic violence case was dismissed.
That history has inevitably become part of the discussion surrounding Panettiere’s death. Still, previous criminal cases should be kept separate from the circumstances being investigated in connection with her death unless authorities establish a direct connection.
What authorities said about Hayden Panettiere’s death
Greenville police said officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:50 p.m. local time on Aug. 16.
When responders arrived, they found Panettiere unresponsive and began medical treatment. According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, emergency personnel attempted advanced cardiac life support measures, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at the residence later that afternoon.
Police said the case was being investigated in coordination with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Authorities also said the preliminary investigation had not indicated signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances at that stage of the investigation.
An acquaintance of Panettiere was identified as the person who placed the 911 call, although the available report did not establish whether Hickerson was the caller.
The cause of death was not immediately confirmed
At the time the police report became public, Panettiere’s official cause of death had not been released.
That meant reports or dispatch comments referring to an overdose or cardiac arrest needed to be treated cautiously. Cardiac arrest describes the heart stopping and can occur as a result of many different medical circumstances; it is not, by itself, a definitive explanation for why someone died.
Likewise, the mention of a possible overdose in dispatch audio did not replace the coroner’s eventual medical and toxicological findings.
For that reason, the circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death remained a matter for investigators and medical officials rather than speculation.
Hayden Panettiere’s family confirmed her death
News of Panettiere’s death was confirmed on Aug. 16 through a statement released on behalf of her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere.
The statement remembered Hayden as someone who brought love and joy to both people close to her and the millions who watched her work onscreen.
The actress was best known to television audiences for roles including Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville. Her career began when she was young, and she went on to build a substantial television and film résumé.
She was also the mother of daughter Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
A complicated relationship now part of a larger investigation
The police report has placed new attention on Brian Hickerson’s presence during the emergency that preceded Panettiere’s death.
His reported actions at the scene, including showing officers where Panettiere’s medication was located, are documented details from the investigation. The report also records an officer’s observations about the different reactions of Brian and his brother after emergency personnel arrived.
But those observations should not be confused with a conclusion about responsibility for Panettiere’s death.
At the time of the report, authorities had not publicly established that Hickerson caused or contributed to her death. The investigation into what happened to Panettiere required medical, forensic and investigative evidence rather than assumptions based on behavior at the scene.
For fans who followed Panettiere’s career for decades, the circumstances surrounding her death have added another painful chapter to the story of an actress whose personal struggles were often played out in the public eye.
As investigators continued examining the events surrounding Aug. 16, the police report provided additional information about the people present and what officers observed, while leaving key questions about the actress’ death unanswered.
