Mounted deputy dies after being thrown from horse at county fair, Michigan cops say

A volunteer mounted deputy known for her kindness and compassion died after she was thrown from her horse while working a county fair, Michigan cops say.

The incident reportedly happened on Monday, July 25, at the Clare County Fair, where Nichole Shuff had stopped to help someone having a medical emergency.

“She went to dismount from her horse to assist an injured person and somehow her horse got spooked, which set off a chain reaction which caused her to fall and hit her head on the concrete,” her aunt, Laurie Mccullough, said in a Facebook post. “When she fell, the horse also lost its balance and fell on top of her.”

Shuff died on Wednesday, July 27, sheriff officials said. Loved ones say she was kept on a ventilator for organ donation.

“Nichole was not only a community helper as a deputy but a physician assistant,” the MPD Mounted Patrol Foundation said. “She was known for her kindness, compassion and love for horses.”

Others said Shuff was known for her adventurous spirit.

“Too young, too talented, too much potential, too kind, too big a future and so much left to come,” Tasha Smith said.

Shuff got married on June 22, according to a Facebook post. She had been a member of the mounted division for two years, WJRT reported.

“Your brilliant smile is lighting the heavens,” Samanta Marrie Galvez said on Facebook. “You are by far the kindest, most caring person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 6:21 AM with the headline "Mounted deputy dies after being thrown from horse at county fair, Michigan cops say."