A man who was shot by police and later died had to wait 10 extra minutes for an ambulance after an officer having a “mild anxiety attack” took the first one that arrived at the scene, according to a newly released state investigation.
Dyshan Best, 39, was shot in the back last year as he fled from officers in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A report released Tuesday by the state’s inspector general found that the shooting was justified because Best had a gun in his hand and the officer pursuing him had reasons to fear for his own safety.
But the report raised questions about what took place after the March 31 shooting, which left Best, who was Black, bleeding with severe internal injuries.
The first ambulance called to take Best to the hospital arrived at the scene at 6:02 p.m., about 14 minutes after the shooting. However, at the urging of other officers, that ambulance was used to take away a white police officer, Erin Perrotta, who had been involved in the foot chase, the report said.
Paramedics reported that Perrotta declined treatment in the ambulance.
“I am 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 her uniform,” the report said.
The second ambulance arrived at the scene at about 6:12 p.m. Hospital records said Best was brought in for treatment at 6:22 p.m. — about 14 minutes after Perrotta got to the hospital, according to the report.
Best died at 7:41 p.m. as he was undergoing treatment for the gunshot wound, which damaged his liver and right kidney.
The report by Inspector General Eliot Prescott 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 revelations from the report have angered and saddened family and friends. They believe he could have survived if he was taken to the hospital in the first ambulance.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Bridgeport police, Shawnna White, declined to comment Wednesday when asked about Perrotta taking the first ambulance. She said in an email that the police department's Internal Affairs Division would conduct its own investigation.
Perrotta currently is out on administrative leave due to an unrelated matter, which White did not disclose.
Phone and email messages were left Wednesday for Perrotta, Mayor Joe Ganim’s office, Prescott’s office, the city police union and Darnell Crosland, a lawyer for Best’s family.
The series of events began when someone called 911 to report a brawl involving about 30 people, including some who had guns. A witness pointed officers to two men in an SUV and said they had a gun, the report says.
Perrotta approached the passenger’s side of the vehicle and opened the door. Best is seen on police body camera video in the passenger’s seat, holding a bottle of alcohol, a vape pen and a cellphone. Perrotta asks Best to step out of the SUV so she could pat him down, the video shows. Best gets out of the vehicle, then runs away with police chasing after him.
During the chase, Best pulled out a 9 mm handgun, the report said. As he ran into a lot filled with disabled cars, the officer chasing him, Yoon Heo, fired his gun twice, striking Best once.
The inspector general concluded, based on the video evidence, that the shooting was justified because Best pointed his gun backward at Heo as he ran.
While wounded on the ground, Best said, “I got shot,” the videos show. Heo responds, “You pulled a gun on 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 lawyer, Crosland disputed that Best had a gun and claimed he was instead holding a vape pen. Prescott said police body camera video clearly show Best with a pistol in his hand.
Best’s niece, Barrett, said he was a truck driver who had returned to his hometown of Bridgeport to attend a friend’s funeral.
In this photo taken from video released by the Bridgeport Police Department, Dyshan Best runs from a Bridgeport Police officer while holding a gun Monday, March 31, 2025, in Bridgeport, Conn. (Bridgeport Police Department via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by the Bridgeport Police Department, Bridgeport Police officer Yoon Heo points his gun as Dyshan Best runs while holding a gun Monday, March 31, 2025, in Bridgeport, Conn. (Bridgeport Police Department via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by the Bridgeport Police Department, Dyshan Best looks up at Bridgeport Police officer Yoon Heo after being shot by Heo during a chase, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Bridgeport, Conn. (Bridgeport Police Department via AP)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sky-high ticket prices won’t be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.
Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.
That’s nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking won’t be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.
The home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.
New Jersey officials said the upcharge was necessary to cover the cost of hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.
NJ Transit officials said they planned to spend $62 million transporting fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament. Outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses. A fare increase was needed to cover the rest, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.
“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, called on FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to cover the transportation costs.
“If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” she said in a statement.
But FIFA has bristled at the suggestion that it should shoulder New Jersey's transit costs. On Friday, it pointed to other U.S. host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, that are keeping their transit rates unchanged.
One notable exception is Boston, where express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.
Thousands of fans have also already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from the Massachusetts capital to the commuter rail station near the stadium, which is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston. That’s four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events at Gillette.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, they’re locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 round trip.
Some of those cities have noted that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to provide enhanced bus and rail service during the games.
The soccer federation on Friday warned that New Jersey's transit pricing could have a “chilling effect."
It argued that no other global event has been asked to absorb the costs of “arbitrarily set” transit prices and noted that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches.
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options,” FIFA said in a statement. “This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”
The huge fare increase has also drawn protest from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.
Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will also be pricey.
Shuttle buses with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip.
Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.
MetLife Stadium has a huge parking lot, but for World Cup matches much of that space is being used for a fan village, shuttle buses, a staging area and FIFA staff, officials said.
When the stadium hosted the NFL's Super Bowl under similar conditions in 2014, New Jersey Transit struggled to accommodate an estimated 33,000 passengers leaving the game. Platforms at a train transfer station became jammed with passengers unable to get space on trains. Some waited for hours to get on board.
AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this report.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
FILE - An NJ Transit train leaves the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - PSG fans cheer before the start of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
FILE - Fans play with a ball outside the Metlife Stadium prior to the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
