The city of Rochester is demanding answers after an unidentified black man, experiencing a medical crisis, was forced out of an ambulance, subsequently collapsed on the pavement in view of paramedics and police, and later died, an incident that left the city's mayor, Malik Evans, shocked and appalled.
The incident, captured in a video of almost 12 minutes that recently came to light, shows the unidentified patient allegedly lunging at paramedics while being transported to the hospital on November 30, 2023.
Footage shows the ambulance stopped at the roadside, its lights flashing, as police officers arrive on the scene.
Bodycam footage reveals an EMT telling an officer that the patient refuses to exit the ambulance, insisting he must leave.
Upon opening the ambulance doors, an officer informs the patient that he must exit the vehicle. The patient, struggling to breathe, expresses his difficulty to the officers while holding his chest and shoulders.
The EMT comments, suggesting the patient's aggressive behavior upon entering the ambulance was inappropriate for someone seeking assistance.
The officer then orders the man to leave the ambulance. The patient, explaining his panic due to breathlessness, prepares to exit, saying anyone would react similarly under such circumstances.
The officer acknowledges his situation but suggests better self-control. The man is then instructed to wait outside for another ambulance.
RAW VIDEO LINK
The patient asks the officer for transportation to the hospital, which is denied.
Shortly after exiting the ambulance as directed, the man collapses and remains unresponsive on the sidewalk.
For over two minutes, the man lay face down without assistance from the emergency personnel present.
Mayor Evans announced the patient's death two weeks after the incident and expressed his astonishment at the treatment the man received.
Evans emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to prevent such incidents in the future, underscoring that city residents deserve humane treatment and equal medical attention.
The official cause of death has not been released, but the victim's family indicated he died from the health emergency he initially sought help for.
American Medical Response, the ambulance service provider, agreed to Mayor Evans' request for an internal investigation and also sought an inquiry by the New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS and Trauma Systems, according to a statement to 13 ABC.
Rochester Police Chief David Smith also initiated an internal investigation, as shared by Evans. The mayor stressed the importance of learning from the incident to improve the quality of medical services in the community.
Think this would've happened in Scarsdale? Because I don't.