Ambulance Diverted to Officer with Anxiety Attack as Shot Man Lay Dying
A state investigation has revealed that a critically wounded man shot by police in Connecticut was forced to wait an additional ten minutes for medical transport after the first ambulance on the scene was diverted to assist an officer experiencing a mild anxiety attack. Dyshan Best, a 39-year-old Black man, died after being shot in the back last year as he fled officers in Bridgeport.
Report Details Critical Delay in Medical Response
While a report released on Tuesday by the state’s inspector general deemed the shooting itself justified, noting that Best had a gun and the pursuing officer feared for their safety, it raised significant questions about the events immediately following the March 31, 2025, incident. Mr. Best was left bleeding with severe internal injuries. The initial ambulance, summoned to transport him to hospital, arrived at 6:02 p.m., approximately fourteen minutes after the shooting.
However, at the urging of other officers, this ambulance was instead used to transport white police officer Erin Perrotta, who had been involved in the foot chase. Paramedics reported that Ms. Perrotta declined treatment inside the ambulance, stating, "I am fine, I just needed to get out of here." Another officer described her at the time as "visibly hysterical (crying and breathing rapidly) and had blood all over her uniform," according to the official report.
Timeline Highlights Disparity in Care
The second ambulance eventually arrived at the scene around 6:12 p.m. Hospital records indicate Mr. Best was admitted for treatment at 6:22 p.m.—some fourteen minutes after Officer Perrotta had already reached the hospital. Best died at 7:41 p.m. as he was undergoing treatment for the gunshot wound, which had damaged his liver and right kidney.
The report by Inspector General Eliot Prescott did not conclude whether the delay in waiting for another ambulance contributed directly to Best’s death. However, the family believes it was a critical factor. One of Best's nieces, Tatiana Barrett, told The Associated Press that revelations from the report have angered and saddened family and friends.
"Honestly it's heartbreaking hearing all these details," she said. "We were looking for justice. In our community, we don’t know what justice looks like. We want justice for my uncle. We truly believe he was murdered." The family contends he could have survived if taken to the hospital in the first ambulance.
Police Department Declines Comment, Launches Internal Probe
A spokesperson for Bridgeport police, Shawnna White, declined to comment on Wednesday when asked about Perrotta taking the first ambulance. She stated in an email that the police department's Internal Affairs Division would conduct its own investigation into the matter. Perrotta is currently out on administrative leave due to an unrelated matter, which White did not disclose.
Phone and email messages were left for Perrotta, Mayor Joe Ganim’s office, Prescott’s office, the city police union, and Darnell Crosland, a lawyer for Best’s family. The series of events began when someone called 911 to report a brawl involving about thirty people, including some who had guns. A witness pointed officers to two men in an SUV and said they had a firearm.
Shooting Deemed Justified Despite Family Dispute
Perrotta approached the passenger’s side of the vehicle and opened the door. Best is seen on police body camera video in the passenger’s seat, holding a bottle of alcohol, a vape pen, and a cellphone. Perrotta asks Best to step out of the SUV so she could pat him down. Best gets out of the vehicle, then runs away with police chasing after him.
During the chase, Best pulled out a 9 mm handgun, the report said. As he ran into a lot filled with disabled cars, the officer chasing him, Yoon Heo, fired his gun twice, striking Best once. The inspector general concluded, based on video evidence, that the shooting was justified because Best pointed his gun backward at Heo as he ran.
While wounded on the ground, Best said, "I got shot," the videos show. Heo responds, "You pulled a gun on me," but Best says "No I didn't." Heo then says "Yeah you did." Prescott confirmed a handgun was found near Best at the scene. After the shooting, the family's lawyer, Crosland, disputed that Best had a gun and claimed he was instead holding a vape pen. Prescott stated police body camera video clearly shows Best with a pistol in his hand.
Best’s niece, Barrett, said he was a truck driver who had returned to his hometown of Bridgeport to attend a friend’s funeral. The incident continues to raise profound questions about police procedures, racial disparities in emergency response, and accountability in use-of-force cases.
