Firefighters Accused of Dropping Man, 76, Down Stairs While Carrying Him in ‘Cheap Roller Chair’

What started as a routine call for help ended in tragedy for Ronald Shuck, 76, whose family says the firefighters sent to assist him instead caused his death.

Shuck’s family says his ordeal began in January 2024, when firefighters responded to his home after he had trouble standing, according to FireRescue1.

Crews sat him in a rolling office chair to check his vitals and determined he needed a hospital, the lawsuit alleged. But instead of transferring him to a gurney, the suit alleges, they carried him down the front steps while he remained seated in what the filing described as a “cheap roller chair” without armrests, according to 12News.

For Ronald’s son, Ryan Shuck, the choice of equipment made no sense then and makes no sense now.

“What they came up with was on that roller chair,” he said. “He’s not a small person, so I don’t understand why they would choose to do that,” Ryan told 12News.

As per the suit, the firefighters lost their grip, and the man was allegedly dropped backward onto the stairs and the concrete below, striking his head and back, the outlets reported. He was rushed to the hospital, where his condition got worse. Eventually, he could not speak, move, or eat, leading to his death on January 23, 2024.

His widow filed suit alleging that the firefighters “recklessly created an unsafe condition” and failed to ensure his needs were “timely and safely met,” according to the outlets’ reporting.

The City of Phoenix settled the case, agreeing to pay her $605,000, People reported on Thursday, July 2.