The family of a 23-year-old Black woman, who mysteriously died after meeting an older white man on Bumble, is wondering why the Bridgeport Police Department isn’t doing enough to find out why their relative is dead.
On December 12, Lauren Smith-Fields was found unresponsive in her apartment after the unidentified white man notified the police that the young woman was in need of medical assistance, News 12 reported. She died later that evening.
Bridgeport police officers didn’t bother taking the man into custody and have reportedly ignored Lauren’s family’s pleas to investigate further.
The deceased woman’s mother, Shantell Fields, even wrote a thorough and detailed email to the department and received no response. Bridgeport Councilwoman Maria Perreira said she was “shocked” that authorities had treated the family in this manner.
“She sent a really well-written email – it was lengthy, it was extensive, it was very detailed – and I was shocked when she told me just yesterday she had not even received a response,” she told News 12.
Lauren’s father, Everett Smith, expressed that the family’s contact with the police has been with a detective who was “very insensitive, condescending and arrogant.”
He also explained that his daughter was educated and hardworking.
The medical examiner has not released a cause of death for Lauren but based on the city’s behavior during the family’s tragic loss– her father hired an independent medical examiner to assess his daughter’s cause of death.
“Without a doubt, we know that my daughter was not a drug user, and I had a second autopsy myself paid out of pocket because we felt so uncomfortable with the way it was handled,” Everett told the news outlet.
Lauren’s brother, Lakeem Jetter, disclosed that the police told him that the man was a nice guy, so it wasn’t necessary to investigate him.
The City of Bridgeport released a bullsh*t statement regarding its department’s handling of Lauren’s case.
“The Bridgeport Police Department takes these concerns very seriously. The Command Staff of the Detective Bureau is reviewing the handling of this case to ensure that best practices were and are being followed. It is imperative to note that the death of Lauren Smith-Fields remains an ongoing investigation. Our department extends its deepest condolences to the family of Lauren.”
Although the city never outright acknowledged Lauren’s family’s concerns, a Google search of the department and racism brought up years-long results– inside and outside of the department.
The 23-year-old woman graduated from Stanford High School where she excelled in track and field– and was studying Physical Therapy at Norwalk Community College. The fledgling influencer went by Lolo Fields on Youtube.
According to her digital obituary, she is survived by “mother, Shantell Fields (Bridgeport, CT); father, Everett Smith (Queens NY); brothers, Kyle (Pilli) Fields (Hawaii), Lakeem Jetter (Bridgeport, CT), and Tayvar Gray (Bridgeport, CT); nephew, Kyle Fields, Jr. (Hawaii); and grandparents, Laura Charles (St. Helena Isl, SC), John Bennett (Luverne. Al), and Jesse and James Bardliving (Stamford, CT).”
Please keep her family in your prayers.
