PHOENIX, Arizona — A 76-year-old man called for help and ended up losing his life because of how that help was delivered.
Ronald Shuck was unable to get up from the toilet on January 5, 2024, when his wife called 911. Phoenix firefighters arrived, sat him in a rolling desk chair to check his vitals, and then recommended he go to the hospital by ambulance.
That is where things went terribly wrong.
What Happened on Those Four Steps
Instead of using a gurney, four firefighters attempted to carry Shuck down four stairs at the entrance of his trailer home — using the same rolling desk chair.
The chair had no armrests.
Shuck was facing backward when the firefighters dropped him. He fell out of the chair and struck the concrete stairs, then the ground, hitting his head and upper back.
His wife watched it happen.
Shuck immediately complained of intense head and back pain. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a broken back and neck — injuries caused directly by the fall.
He never recovered. Ronald Shuck died on January 23, 2024.
Family Demands Accountability
His son, Ryan Shuck, said he still cannot understand why firefighters chose a cheap roller chair over a gurney for a man who was not small and could not walk on his own.
“Someone should suffer the consequences for what they did,” Ryan said. “He could no longer move or talk, or eat or drink. Watching him take his last breath was probably the hardest moment of my life.”
The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2024, accusing the Phoenix Fire Department of being improperly trained and grossly negligent.
Last week, the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to approve a $605,000 settlement with Shuck’s wife.
Do you think $605,000 is enough, or should someone face criminal consequences? Share your thoughts in the comments.
