Cop Steals Shooting Victim’s Ambulance After Feeling ‘Anxious’

A newly released state investigation is raising troubling questions about what happened after a Connecticut man was shot by police — including why the first ambulance on scene transported an officer experiencing anxiety instead of the critically wounded victim.

Dyshan Best, a 39-year-old Black man, died after being shot during a police chase in Bridgeport, Connecticut, last year. While investigators ruled the shooting itself legally justified, the report exposes a controversial decision made in the chaotic minutes that followed.

According to the investigation released Tuesday by Connecticut’s inspector general, the first ambulance that arrived at the scene was diverted to transport a police officer who was reportedly having what responders described as a “mild anxiety attack.” Best, who had been shot in the back and was suffering severe internal injuries, had to wait roughly 10 additional minutes for another ambulance.

The delay has left Best’s family questioning whether those lost minutes could have saved his life.

“What we’re learning now is heartbreaking,” Best’s niece, Tatiana Barrett, said. “We truly believe he could still be here if he had gotten that first ambulance.”

The events unfolded on March 31, 2025, after police responded to reports of a large fight involving multiple people and possible firearms. Officers were directed to two men sitting inside an SUV.

Body camera footage shows Officer Erin Perrotta approaching the passenger side of the vehicle and asking Best to step out so she could search him. Best initially complied but then ran, sparking a foot chase through a nearby lot filled with disabled vehicles.

During the pursuit, investigators say Best pulled out a 9-millimeter handgun. Officer Yoon Heo fired two shots, striking Best once.

Inspector General Eliot Prescott concluded the shooting was justified, saying video evidence showed Best pointing the gun backward toward the officer as he ran.

“Officer Heo had a reasonable belief that he was in immediate danger of serious injury or death,” Prescott wrote in the report.

But the investigation also highlights the chaotic aftermath of the shooting.

The first ambulance arrived at the scene around 6:02 p.m., about 14 minutes after Best was shot. Instead of transporting the wounded man, however, officers directed paramedics to take Perrotta — who had been involved in the chase and was described by colleagues as “visibly hysterical” and covered in blood from the scene.

According to paramedic reports, officers rushed the ambulance crew and told them to “hurry up and take their partner.” Perrotta reportedly climbed into the ambulance herself and asked to be taken to the nearest hospital.

Paramedics said she ultimately declined treatment once inside.

“I am fine, I just needed to get out of here,” she reportedly told responders.

A second ambulance did not arrive until roughly 6:12 p.m. Best reached the hospital around 6:22 p.m. — about 14 minutes after Perrotta had already arrived there.

Doctors attempted emergency treatment, but Best died later that evening at 7:41 p.m. His gunshot wound had severely damaged his liver and right kidney.

The state report did not determine whether the ambulance delay contributed to his death.

For Best’s family, however, the question lingers.

“He was lying there bleeding while the first ambulance took someone else away,” Barrett said. “We don’t know what justice looks like yet, but we know this wasn’t right.”

Bridgeport police have not publicly addressed why the officer was prioritized for transport. Department spokesperson Shawnna White said the department’s Internal Affairs Division will conduct its own investigation into the incident.

Officer Perrotta is currently on administrative leave for an unrelated matter, according to local reports.

Best’s family attorney, Darnell Crosland, previously disputed police claims that Best was holding a gun, arguing he may have been carrying a vape device instead. Investigators say body camera footage clearly shows a handgun, which was later recovered near Best at the scene.

Best had recently returned to Bridgeport — the city where he grew up — to attend a friend’s funeral. He worked as a truck driver and remained close with his family.

Now, loved ones say the details emerging from the investigation have only deepened their grief — and their demand for answers.

“We want accountability,” Barrett said. “No family should have to wonder if their loved one might have survived if help had come sooner.”