Bridgeport Police Shooting Ruled Justified; Ambulance Delay Probed

Bridgeport Police Shooting of Dyshan Best Ruled Justified; Ambulance Delay Draws Criticism

Connecticut Inspector General Eliot Prescott ruled in March 2026 that the fatal police shooting of Dyshan Best, 39, during a foot pursuit in Bridgeport on March 31, 2025, was legally justified — but the report released this week also revealed that the first ambulance to arrive on scene was diverted to transport a police officer experiencing an anxiety attack instead of the critically wounded Best, delaying his hospital transport by approximately 10 minutes.

Best died at 7:41 p.m. on March 31 following surgery at Bridgeport Hospital for injuries to his liver and right kidney. The Bridgeport Police Department's Internal Affairs Division has opened an investigation into the ambulance decision.

The Shooting

Best was shot once in the back by Officer Yoon Heo during a foot chase through a lot with disabled vehicles off Kossuth Street. Heo fired twice; one round struck Best.

The OIG report concluded the shooting was justified under Connecticut law, finding that Best had a 9mm handgun and that Heo had a reasonable fear of serious physical harm after Best allegedly pointed the firearm backward at the pursuing officer as he ran. Body camera footage reviewed by Prescott's office supported the finding.

Best's family attorney, Darnell Crosland, disputes that characterization. He has asserted that Best was holding a vape pen, not a gun. Prescott's report directly addresses the claim, concluding that body camera footage clearly showed Best carrying a pistol.

The Ambulance Controversy

The incident that has drawn the most attention in the days following the OIG ruling is not the shooting itself but what happened to the first ambulance on scene.

The first ambulance arrived at approximately 6:02 p.m. Instead of transporting Best to the hospital, officers directed the crew to take Officer Erin Perrotta. Perrotta was described in the OIG report as "visibly hysterical (crying and breathing rapidly)" and was experiencing what the report characterized as a "mild anxiety attack." She declined medical treatment, telling paramedics, "I am fine, I just needed to get out of here."

A second ambulance arrived at approximately 6:12 p.m. Best was transported and reached Bridgeport Hospital at 6:22 p.m. — roughly 20 minutes after the first ambulance had arrived. He died at 7:41 p.m.

Officer Perrotta was placed on administrative leave following the incident. The OIG report does not conclude whether the delay contributed to Best's death.

Family and Community Response

Best's niece, Tatiana Barrett, said the family is not satisfied with the OIG's justification ruling. "We were looking for justice," she said. "We want justice for my uncle."

The family believes Best could have survived with earlier medical transport. Community advocates, including representatives of the Greater Bridgeport NAACP and Bridgeport Stronger Together, called on the city to examine its protocols for medical response at police incidents and to ensure that future ambulance deployments prioritize the most critically injured person regardless of whether they are a civilian or a law enforcement officer.

Internal Affairs Investigation

The Bridgeport Police Department announced that its Internal Affairs Division would investigate the circumstances surrounding the ambulance decision. No timeline for that investigation has been made public.

The OIG's review focused on the question of whether Officer Heo's use of deadly force was legally justified. The ambulance controversy falls under a separate track of accountability. Whether any disciplinary action will result from the Perrotta ambulance incident remains to be determined.

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