A state investigation found that a man who was shot by police in Connecticut had to wait about 10 additional minutes for medical help after the first ambulance at the scene was used to transport an officer experiencing a “mild anxiety attack.”
The incident involved Dyshan Best, 39, who was shot by police on March 31, 2025 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. According to a report released by Eliot Prescott, the state’s inspector general, the shooting itself was considered justified because Best was holding a firearm while fleeing from officers.
However, the investigation raised concerns about what happened after the shooting.
Authorities said the first ambulance arrived roughly 14 minutes after the shooting, at about 6:02 p.m. Instead of transporting Best to the hospital, officers directed paramedics to take Erin Perrotta, a police officer involved in the foot chase, who was reportedly suffering from anxiety at the scene.
According to an emergency response report from American Medical Response, officers told paramedics to quickly remove their colleague. The report stated that Perrotta climbed into the ambulance and asked to be taken to the nearest hospital for evaluation, though she later declined medical treatment during the ride.
Witness accounts in the report described Perrotta as visibly distressed, crying and breathing rapidly, with blood on her uniform.
A second ambulance reached the scene about 10 minutes later, around 6:12 p.m., and transported Best to the hospital. Records show he arrived at 6:22 p.m. and later died at 7:41 p.m. while doctors treated severe internal injuries caused by the gunshot, including damage to his liver and right kidney.
The report did not determine whether the delay in medical transport contributed to Best’s death.
Family members said the findings have deepened their frustration. Best’s niece, Tatiana Barrett, said relatives believe he might have survived if he had been taken to the hospital sooner.
Officials with the Bridgeport Police Department declined to comment directly on the ambulance decision but confirmed that the department’s Internal Affairs Division will review the incident.
The confrontation began when police responded to a 911 call reporting a large fight involving about 30 people, some possibly armed. Officers were directed to two men sitting in an SUV.
Body-camera footage shows Best exiting the vehicle when asked by officers, then running away. Investigators said that during the chase Best pulled out a 9-millimeter handgun. Officer Yoon Heo fired two shots, striking him once.
Investigators concluded that the officer reasonably believed his life was in danger when Best pointed the gun backward while fleeing.
Police later recovered a handgun near Best at the scene.