A Connecticut officer experiencing a mild anxiety attack took an ambulance that was meant for Dyshan Best, who had been shot by police and later died. The incident occurred in Bridgeport on March 31, 2025.
Key Takeaways
A Connecticut officer experiencing a mild anxiety attack took an ambulance meant for Dyshan Best, who was shot by police and later died. The incident occurred in Bridgeport on March 31, 2025.
- Officer Erin Perrotta took the first ambulance despite declining treatment
- Dyshan Best received medical attention 20 minutes after the initial ambulance arrived
- Inspector General Eliot Prescott found the shooting justified but did not determine if delay contributed to death
- Best's family believes he could have survived with timely medical care
The first ambulance arrived at the scene at 6:02 p.m., about 14 minutes after Best was shot. However, Officer Erin Perrotta, who had been involved in the foot chase with Best, took that ambulance despite declining treatment. Paramedics reported that Perrotta said, "I am fine, I just needed to get out of here." Another officer described her as "visibly hysterical (crying and breathing rapidly) and had blood all over her uniform."
The second ambulance arrived at 6:12 p.m., and Best was brought in for treatment at 6:22 p.m. He died at 7:41 p.m.
Best's gunshot wound damaged his liver and right kidney, as reported by CNN. The report by Inspector General Eliot Prescott found that the shooting was justified because Best had a gun in his hand and the officer pursuing him, Yoon Heo, had reasons to fear for his safety. However, the report did not determine whether the delay in medical care contributed to Best's death.
Best's family believes he could have survived if he had been taken to the hospital in the first ambulance. His niece, 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."
Perrotta is currently on administrative leave due to an unrelated matter, as reported by CNN. The series of events began when someone called 911 to report a brawl involving about 30 people, including some who had guns. A witness pointed officers to two men in an SUV and said they had a gun.
Perrotta approached the passenger’s side of the vehicle and saw Best holding a bottle of alcohol, a vape pen, and a cellphone. After asking Best to exit the car for a pat-down, he ran away with police chasing after him. During the chase, Best pulled out a 9mm handgun. As he ran into a lot filled with disabled cars, Officer Heo fired his gun twice, striking Best once.
The inspector general concluded that the shooting was justified because Best pointed his gun backward at Heo as he ran. After the shooting, the family’s lawyer, Darnell Crosland, disputed that Best had a gun and claimed he was instead holding a vape pen. Prescott said police body camera video clearly shows Best with a pistol in his hand.
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