*The mayor of a Connecticut city has ordered two police officers be placed on administrative leave amid criticism over their handling of the deaths of two Black women.
On Sunday, Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim said he is “extremely disappointed with the leadership of the Bridgeport Police Department,” specifically with their handling of the mysterious deaths of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls.
“I want you to know that I am extremely disappointed with the leadership of the Bridgeport Police Department and find actions taken up to this point unacceptable,” Ganim said in a statement, CBS News reports. “After reviewing the matters even more closely and in the absence of the Police Chief, I have directed Deputy Chief Baraja to immediately put on administrative leave the two officers who are the subject of a Bridgeport Police Office of Internal Affairs (OIA) Investigation and disciplinary action for lack of sensitivity to the public and failure to follow police policy in the handling of these two matters.”
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Smith-Fields, 23, and Rawls, 53, both died on December 12, 2021. Rawls’ cause and manner of death are reportedly still pending, while Smith-Fields’ death is being investigated as a crime.
Officer Kevin Cronin has been removed from the Smith-Fields case after alleged misconduct, Complex reports. The young woman was found dead in her apartment in December following a date with a white man she met on the dating app Bumble.
That man, Matthew LaFountain, claims he and Smith-Fields met via the app and went out on a date the night of Dec. 11. The next morning, he called police to say he had woken up to find her unresponsive, not breathing and blood covered her nostrils. He claims the two did not have sex, according to reports.
Medical examiners ruled her death an accidental overdose, the result of “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine and alcohol.”
Smith-Fields family claims she was not a drug addict and had no history of drug abuse.
This is sooo scary!!!A fictional murderer character but in real life!! Justice for Lauren.Connecticut you have failed that young lady!!! pic.twitter.com/hYce46KfYD
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) January 24, 2022
Of the drug allegations, the family’s attorney Darnell Crosland said “I think they thought we were going to shut up, and lose faith in Lauren and think she was just a drug addict. But people didn’t run away, they doubled-down.”
Crosland claims there is a connection between Cronin and LaFountain.
“They’ve been tight-lipped about his involvement, but we’ve been finding out on social media that LaFountain, the individual who was with Lauren, has a huge connection with the police department and his family does as well,” he told Atlanta Black Star. “Cronin has intentionally or negligently created a cover-up for the responsible party in Lauren’s death,” stopping short of blaming LaFountain for Smith-Fields’ sudden death.”
LaFountain, the last man to see her alive, has not been identified by police as a suspect in the case.
According to her Smith-Fields brother Lakeem Jetter, the detective told him, “‘She met some guy on Bumble that night.’ And I’m like, ‘Who is this guy? What’s going on?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, he sounds like a nice guy, don’t worry about it.'”
Lauren Smith Fields, a 23 y/o Black woman went on a date w/ a 37 y/o white man, Matthew LaFountain, she met on Bumble. He was the last person to see her alive & was the one who reported her death.He wasn’t questioned!
She was found drugged to death in her apartment
SAY HER NAME pic.twitter.com/93T1kQ5LV3
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) January 29, 2022
Bridgeport police initially refused to handle the case as a crime, prompting social media users to bring attention to the Smith-Fields’ death.
In a now-viral tweet, rapper Cardi B said, “Connecticut, you have failed that young lady.” Her tweet along with a massive movement supporting Smith-Fields on TikTok has brought mainstream attention to the case. As such, Bridgeport police are NOW investing her death as a crime. LaFountain is said to be cooperating with the investigation.
Smith-Fields’ mother, Shantell Fields, told CBS News that nobody reached out to them following the death of her daughter. The grieving mother drove to her daughter’s home after she was unable to get in touch with her, and that’s when she learned the truth.
“When I got there, there was a note on the door saying, ‘If you’re looking for Lauren, call this number,'” she said.
Smith-Fields’ brother, Tavar Gray-Smith, told “CBS Mornings” that the detective told them, “We didn’t need to reach out to any family member — we had her passport and her ID, so we knew who she was, and had already performed an autopsy, and her body is at the medical examiner’s office.”
The family says the police have been rude and dismissive during the investigation. They also claim the police told them repeatedly to stop calling and inquiring about developments in the case. The family has described the police department’s response “racially insensitive.”
“The more we fight, the more I get nervous and scared for my family,” Shantell said in an exclusive interview with Complex.
The family is reportedly suing the department over the botched investigation.
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