Bridgeport Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Death of Lauren Smith-Fields

On Dec. 12, following a Bumble date at her apartment, Smith-Fields was found unresponsive by her date, a white man named Matthew Lafountain. Lafountain called police, reporting that Smith-Fields was unresponsive and had been bleeding from her nose. Smith-Field’s family — who learned of her death days later, after finding a note from the landlord on the door — say they found a used condom with semen and an unidentified pill in her apartment.

Smith-Fields’ family has described communication with detectives as unprofessional and scarce. “How they spoke to us was disgusting,” said Shantell Fields, Lauren Smith-Fields’ mother, who accused them of “hanging up the phone and telling us to stop calling.” On Jan. 21, Smith-Fields’ family’s lawyer Darnell Crosland issued an intent to sue the Bridgeport police department. “After my client’ s family forced the BPD to collect the pill found in the apartment, the condom, and the bloody sheet, as of today, those items have not been submitted to the State Laboratory for forensic analysis,” wrote Crosland. He went on to say that an officer had been removed from the case and “is now under investigation by the Bridgeport Internal of Affairs Division.

The Mayor of Bridgeport, Joe Ganim, also issued a statement offering the family condolences, saying that he contacted the State Medical Examiner to expedite the matter so an investigation can continue and detectives could provide a report to the family. “I share concerns echoed by many about the amount of time and manner a family is informed of a loss,” wrote Ganim. “ Death notifications should be done in a manner that illustrates dignity for the deceased and respect and compassion for the family. Therefore, I will work with the Chief of Police to make appropriate changes here in Bridgeport – now – for our department’s policies and practices regarding notifying family members of a death.

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