A man was shot and killed by police after he allegedly withdrew a firearm while running from the police in Connecticut. The final moments of 39-year-old Dyshan Best were captured on Bridgeport Police bodycam and recently released.
The footage begins with officers approaching a black Chevrolet Tahoe, occupied by two men. According to the reports, Tahoe was identified after police received a tip that someone inside was armed. The tip was accompanied by reports of a brawl involving funeral attendees on East Main Street sometime around 5:50 p.m. on Monday. The vehicle was found in a store parking lot along the same street.
In the video, a male officer opened the driver’s door, and a female officer, identified as Erin Perrotta, opened the passenger’s door. She instructs the passenger, Best, to step outside, informing him that he and his associate will be patted down. She informs him about the reason for the search, and he seemingly indicates that the incident did not involve him.
Best initially appears to be complying but then abruptly flees as soon as he steps out. Clutching a Rémy Martin liquor bottle in one hand, he begins running, prompting a chase by Officers Perrotta and Yoon Heo. As the pursuit unfolded, Best ran toward a gas station near the intersection of Beecher Street and Kossuth Street. Officer Heo warns him to stop and reportedly deploys a stun gun, but Best does not surrender.
During the chase, the liquor bottle is discarded on the ground. When Best reached a driveway, the officer noticed an object in his right hand that resembled a firearm. Upon seeing the alleged weapon, Officer Heo fires two shots at Best, and Best falls to the ground. Police later found a Highpoint Compact 9mm handgun near the spot where Best went down when he was shot.
Despite receiving medical aid at the scene until he was transported to Bridgeport Hospital, Best succumbed to his injuries at 7:41 p.m. His cause of death was identified as a gunshot wound to the torso. This led to his death being ruled as a homicide.
A joint investigation involving the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, the Western District Major Crime Squad, and the Bridgeport Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office has since been launched into the incident. Although authorities said that Officer Heo’s actions appeared to align with the department’s use-of-force training, Heo has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Best’s family denies that he ever possessed a firearm, as his sister described him as a good individual. The family’s attorney, Darnell D. Crosland, also criticised the case, arguing that the officers should never have pursued Best in the first place.
