A man shot by police had to wait an extra 10 minutes for an ambulance because an officer suffering from a “mild anxiety disorder” took away 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’s inspector general found the shooting was justified because Best had a gun in his hand and the officer who pursued 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 is Black, bleeding from severe internal injuries.
The first ambulance arrived at the scene at 6:02 p.m., about 14 minutes after the shooting. However, the ambulance was used to remove Erin Perrotta, a white police officer involved in the foot pursuit, at the urging of other officers, the report said.
Paramedics reported Perrotta refused treatment in the ambulance.
“I’m fine, I just need to get out of here,” she reportedly said. Another officer described Perrotta as “visibly hysterical (crying, short of breath) and had blood on her uniform,” the report said.
A second ambulance arrived at the scene around 6:12 p.m., the report said. Hospital records show Best was taken to the hospital for treatment at 6:22 p.m., about 14 minutes after Perrotta arrived.
Best died at 7:41 p.m. while being treated for a gunshot wound that damaged his liver and right kidney.
Inspector General Elliot Prescott’s report did not say whether delays waiting for another ambulance contributed to Best’s death.
Tatiana Barrett, one of Best’s nieces, told The Associated Press that the report’s disclosure angered and saddened family and friends. They believe he might have survived if he had been taken to hospital by the first ambulance.
“Honestly, it’s heartbreaking to hear all these details,” she said. “We are seeking justice. In our community, we don’t know what justice looks like. We want justice for my uncle. We do believe he was murdered.”
Bridgeport police spokesperson Shawnna White declined to comment Wednesday when asked about Perrotta’s ride in the first ambulance. She said in an email that the police department’s internal affairs unit will conduct its own investigation.
Perrotta is currently on administrative leave for an unrelated matter, which White did not disclose.
Calls and emails were left Wednesday with Perrotta, Mayor Joe Ganim’s office, Prescott’s office, the city police union and Darnell Crossland, an attorney for Best’s family.
The series of events began when someone called 911 to report a fight involving about 30 people, some of whom were armed with guns. A witness pointed police at two men in an SUV and said they had guns, the report said.
Perrotta walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. Police body camera video shows Best sitting in the passenger seat holding a bottle of wine, a vape pen and a cellphone. The video shows Perrotta asking Best to get out of the SUV so she could pat him. Best got out of the car and ran away, with police chasing him.
According to the report, during the pursuit, Best pulled out a 9 mm pistol. When he came across a vacant lot filled with scrapped cars, the policeman chasing him, Yoon Heo, fired twice, hitting Best once.
The inspector general concluded based on video evidence that the shooting was justified because Best pointed the gun backward at Xu, who was running.
Video shows Best saying, “I got shot,” as he fell to the ground wounded. He replied, “You pointed a gun at me,” but Best said, “No, I didn’t.” Heo then said, “Yeah, you did.” A handgun was found near Best at the scene, Prescott said.
After the shooting, Crosland, an attorney for the Best family, disputed the notion that Best had a gun and claimed he was holding a vape pen. Police body camera video clearly shows Best holding a handgun, Prescott said.
Best, a truck driver, had returned to his hometown of Bridgeport to attend a friend’s funeral, said his niece Barrett.