A Rochester man suffering a medical emergency was kicked out of an ambulance and fell to the pavement in front of paramedics and police, where he later died. The city's mayor was “stunned” by the horrifying development.
The approximately 12-minute video shows an unidentified patient allegedly lunging at paramedics as they were being transported to the hospital on November 30, 2023.
Ambulances are parked on the side of roads in the city, their lights flashing even when police arrive.
“I don't know what's wrong with him, but he won't get out of the truck, so I have to go,” the paramedic reportedly told the officer. Body camera footage obtained by WROC.
When the ambulance door opened, a police officer told the patient, “It's a wrap,” and the crew encouraged the patient to exit the vehicle.
The man was clutching his chest and shoulders, groaning and telling the police officer, “I couldn't breathe.''
“We were trying to help, honey, but the way you got in here and jumped on us is no way to ask someone for help,” the paramedic interjected. .
The officer then asked him to get out of the ambulance.
“I was surprised,” the man said as he put on his coat and went outside. “You'd be surprised if you couldn't breathe.”
“I can hear you,” the officer replied. “Maybe I should try to control myself a little more.”
I was told to wait outside the ambulance until another ambulance arrived to take me to the hospital.
“Can you please take me to the hospital?” he begged the officer, but the officer refused.
Shortly after the man complied with the officer's request to exit the ambulance, he collapsed and lay motionless on the pavement.
The man lay face down in front of emergency personnel for more than two minutes, but no one came to his aid.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans announced that the patient died two weeks later. Press conference Thursday.
Ms Evans added she was “appalled” by the man's treatment.
“We have to get to the bottom of this,” Evans said. We need to understand how and why this happened and identify processes and safeguards to prevent it from happening again. ”
“Urban residents are human beings and have the right to be treated humanely and with the same consideration as other people.”
The man's official cause of death has not been disclosed.
Evans said the victim's family shared that the man “died from this health emergency that he called to get help to deal with.”
American Medical Response, which provides the ambulance, said it would comply with Evans' request for an internal investigation.
“We viewed the video for the first time yesterday and have begun an internal investigation. We have also requested an investigation from the New York State Department of Health's Office of EMS and Trauma Systems,” the provider said in a statement to 13 ABC.
Rochester Police Chief David Smith is also calling for an internal investigation, Evans said.
“Even if this is a medical setting, there are always lessons to be learned, especially when it comes to the type of ambulance service that our communities experience,” Evans said.
