Police team shot a black man and then stole his ambulance for an insane reason

A state investigation in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has revealed that after the police shot Dyshan Best, he had to wait an additional 10 minutes for an ambulance. All because a police officer, experiencing a “mild anxiety attack,” took the first emergency vehicle that arrived on the scene. 

The report from the state’s inspector general, Eliot Prescott, did conclude that the shooting itself was justified because Best had a gun and the officer pursuing him feared for his safety. However, the investigator had serious concerns about why Best, a Black man, was left without medical care when he was bleeding internally with severe injuries.

The first ambulance, called for Best, arrived at the scene about 14 minutes after he was shot. According to CNN, the other officers urged the ambulance to take Officer Erin Perrotta instead, who was described as “visibly hysterical (crying and breathing rapidly) and had blood all over her uniform.” Paramedics on the scene reported that Perrotta actually declined treatment while in the ambulance, saying, “I am fine, I just needed to get out of here.” 

The worst bit is that he died from his injuries

Best had to wait for a second ambulance, which didn’t show up for another 10 minutes. Hospital records show Best finally got treatment at 6:22 PM— 14 minutes after Perrotta had already arrived at the hospital. He then died at 7:41 PM while undergoing treatment for the gunshot wound, which damaged his liver and right kidney. 

Best’s niece, Tatiana Barrett, told reporters, “Honestly it’s heartbreaking hearing 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.” They truly believe he could have survived if he had been taken to the hospital in that first ambulance. 

Best was shot when the police followed up on a call about a brawl involving 30 people. He chose to run when approached by Officer Perrotta. The report noted that video evidence showed him pulling his gun and pointing it at another officer, who then shot Best. The video also recorded Best denying that he had drawn his gun. 

A spokesperson for Bridgeport police, Shawnna White, declined to comment when asked about Perrotta taking the first ambulance. She stated that the police department’s Internal Affairs Division would conduct its own investigation. Perrotta is currently on administrative leave due to an unrelated matter. 

It’s certainly a situation that leaves you with more questions than answers about how priorities were handled in a critical, life-or-death moment. It shows a level of callousness that almost matches ICE’s attitude to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti. What is sad is that it has become normalized for police to shoot the minute they are fearful, even in cases where they were called for help, rather than utilizing their training.