Connecticut officer having “mild anxiety attack” took ambulance sent for man dying from police shooting, investigation finds

A man who was shot by police and later died had to wait an additional 10 minutes for an ambulance after a police officer suffering a “mild anxiety attack” took the first one to arrive at the scene, according to a newly released state investigation.

Dyshan Best, 39, was shot in the back last year while fleeing police in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A report released Tuesday by the state inspector general concluded that the shooting was justified because Best had a gun in his hand and the officer pursuing him had reason to fear for his own safety.

But the report raises questions about what happened after the March 31 shooting, which left Best, who was black, bleeding and suffering serious internal injuries.

The first ambulance called to take Best to the hospital arrived on scene at 6:02 p.m., about 14 minutes after the shooting. However, at the request of other officers, that ambulance was used to take away a white officer, Erin Perrotta, who had participated in the chase, according to the report.

The American Medical Response (AMR) report for Perrotta noted the nature of the call as “stabbing/gunshot/penetrating trauma,” according to the state report.

According to the AMR report, “police on scene told the crew to ‘hurry up and take their partner.’ The police rushed the team from the scene, no information was given to the team. Pt wishes to be transported to the nearest facility for further evaluation. Pt jumped into the ambulance and was secured with straps.”

Paramedics reported that Perrotta refused treatment in the ambulance.

“I’m fine, I just needed to get out of here,” she said, according to the report. Another officer described Perrotta at the time as “visibly hysterical (crying and breathing rapidly) and had blood all over his uniform,” according to the report.

The second ambulance arrived on scene around 6:12 p.m. Hospital records indicate Best was brought in for treatment at 6:22 p.m., approximately 14 minutes after Perrotta arrived at the hospital, according to the report.

Best died at 7:41 p.m. while undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound, which damaged his liver and right kidney.

Inspector General Eliot Prescott’s report did not say whether the delay in waiting for another ambulance contributed to Best’s death.

One of Best’s nieces, Tatiana Barrett, told The Associated Press that the report’s revelations had angered and saddened her family and friends. They believe he could have survived if he had been taken to hospital in the first ambulance.

“Honestly, it’s heartbreaking to hear 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.”

A Bridgeport police spokeswoman, Shawnna White, declined to comment Wednesday when asked if Perrotta took the first ambulance. She said in an email that the police department’s Internal Affairs Division would conduct its own investigation.

Perrotta is currently on administrative leave due to an unrelated matter, CBS affiliate WFSB-TV reported.

Phone and email messages were left Wednesday for Perrotta, Mayor Joe Ganim’s office, Prescott’s office, the city’s police union and Darnell Crosland, attorney for the Best family.

The series of events began when someone called 911 to report a fight involving about 30 people, some of whom were armed. A witness pointed officers toward two men in an SUV and said they had a gun, according to the report.

Perrotta approached the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. The best is seen on police body camera video in the passenger seat, holding a bottle of alcohol, a vape pen and a cell phone. Perrotta asks Best to get out of the SUV so she can search him, the video shows. Best gets out of the vehicle, then flees, pursued by the police.

During the chase, Best pulled out a 9mm handgun, according to the report. As he ran into a field full of broken down cars, the pursuing officer, Yoon Heo, fired his gun twice, hitting Best once.

The inspector general concluded, based on video evidence, that the shooting was justified because Best was pointing his gun backward at Heo as he ran.

“Based on my office’s investigation, I conclude that Officer Heo had a reasonable belief that he was in immediate danger of serious injury or death from Dyshan Best and that it was necessary to use deadly physical force to protect himself,” Prescott said in the report.

While lying wounded on the ground, Best said, “I was shot,” the videos show. Heo responds, “You pointed a gun at me,” but Best says, “No, I didn’t.” Heo then says “Yeah, you did.” Prescott said a handgun was found near Best at the scene.

After the shooting, the family’s attorney, Crosland, disputed that Best owned a gun and claimed he was instead holding a vape pen. Prescott said police body camera video clearly showed Best with a gun in his hand.

Best’s niece, Barrett, said he was a truck driver and had returned to his hometown of Bridgeport to attend a friend’s funeral.