Bridgeport, CT – Family members of Dyshan Best, a local man fatally shot by police, are demanding transparency, accountability, and a full investigation following the release of body camera footage and initial details surrounding the incident.
In an emotional public statement, family members and community advocates voiced serious concerns about the circumstances of Dyshan’s death, calling into question the police response, the handling of evidence, and what they say are conflicting narratives emerging from the authorities.
“We live in an AI world that will make you think that you know things aren’t what they actually are,” one speaker said, emphasizing the need for professional analysis of all footage. “You can’t rush to judgment based on those videos.”
According to the family, Dyshan had turned his life around, working as a tractor-trailer driver and being a dedicated father. His sister, who raised him from infancy, described him as a “gentle person” who “did not deserve this to happen to him the way it did.”
The family expressed frustration with the initial police engagement, stating that Dyshan appeared to run after officers opened a car door and said they needed to pat him down based on a report of a firearm. “If someone addresses me and snatches my door open, I might run too,” his sister said. “So that means you’re gonna shoot me down?”
Advocates representing the family stated there was no felony in progress that would justify the use of deadly force under the “fleeing felon” rule. “You don’t become the judge, jury, and executioner because in your mind you feel that something went wrong,” one speaker said. “Preservation of life has to be the protocol.”
Questions also surround the body camera footage released by the police. The family said it appeared manipulated or unclear, noting that Dyshan initially appeared to be holding a cell phone and a bottle, and not a weapon. “We need the actual videos, not self-serving clips,” they insisted.
No confirmation has been made by the police regarding whether a gun was recovered at the scene. Family members said they have not been told definitively by authorities that Dyshan was armed, and stressed the importance of waiting for the Inspector General’s office to complete a full investigation.
In the meantime, the family plans to peacefully protest, with the police chief reportedly assuring them that their rights to protest would be respected. “We have a right to protest without feeling like we’re under investigation,” they said.
At the center of the family’s call for justice is a belief that Dyshan’s life could have been spared. “Let him go,” one speaker said. “At least he would still be here.”
Dyshan’s sister recalled not being able to watch the full video. “I couldn’t even see the whole tape… it looked like he had a phone in his hand.” Another family member added, “He wasn’t a thug. He was a pallbearer. He turned his life around.”
As the family waits for autopsy results and further answers, they say they are committed to holding the Bridgeport Police Department accountable and ensuring this case receives the full scrutiny it deserves.
“This is sick. This needs to stop,” his sister said. “The city of Bridgeport is accountable for their officers… and we’re not standing for it.”