This week, when Connecticut authorities released a final report on the death of Dyshan Best, findings confirmed a tragic irony that his family says cost him his life.
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Best, a Black man, was shot in the back while running from police. However, his family contends that he died because he was forced to wait an extra 10 minutes for medical aid while a white female officer’s “mild anxiety attack” was prioritized.
The series of events began March 31, 2025, when someone called 911 to report a brawl involving about 30 people in Bridgeport, CBS News reported. A witness directed officers to two men in an SUV and said they had a gun, a report released Tuesday by Inspector General Eliot Prescott said.
After police officer Erin Perrotta approached the car and opened the door, Best can be seen on police body camera footage in the passenger’s seat with a bottle of alcohol, a vape pen and a cellphone. When Best exited the vehicle for a pat down, he can be seen fleeing.
As a foot chase ensued, the inspector’s report said the 39-year-old pulled out what appeared to be a 9 mm firearm. Yoon Heo, the officer chasing him, fired his gun twice, striking Best once.
Based on video evidence, the inspector general concluded that the shooting was justified because Best appeared to point his gun—which was later found near his person— at Heo as he ran.
But it’s what happened directly after Best, a truck driver who had returned to his hometown to attend a friend’s funeral, was shot that’s raising disturbing concerns.
Best had survived the gunshot, and first responders arrived about 14 minutes after the shooting. However, the first ambulance was diverted from the man suffering from severe internal injuries to treat Perrotta, at the urging of other officers, for her “mild anxiety attack” instead.
The American Medical Response (AMR) report regarding Perrotta noted, “PD on scene told crew to ‘hurry up and take their partner.’ […] Pt wants to be transported to closest facility for further eval.” In the ambulance, Perrotta declined treatment, paramedics reported.
As Best laid bleeding out, Perrotta said, “I am fine. I just needed to get out of here,” according to the report.
A second ambulance arrived at the scene and took Best to the hospital— 14 minutes after Perrotta got to the hospital, the report said. He died just over an hour later as he was undergoing treatment for the gunshot wound, which damaged his liver and right kidney, CBS News reported.
The report by Inspector General Eliot Prescott did not say whether the delay in waiting for another ambulance contributed to Best’s death.
Tatiana Barrett, one of Best’s nieces, told the Associated Press how her uncle could have survived if he was taken to the hospital in the first ambulance.
“Honestly it’s heartbreaking hearing all these details,” Barrett 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.”
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