Connecticut cops suspended over investigations into deaths of two women

Two Bridgeport police detectives concerned in investigating the deaths of two black girls have been suspended, the mayor of the Connecticut city stated Sunday.

“I'm extraordinarily disillusioned with the management of the Bridgeport Police Division,” Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim stated in a video saying the suspensions.

The households of each girls — Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, and Brenda Lee Rawls, 53 — have stated that police didn't inform them of the ladies’s deaths in a well timed method.

The 2 suspended detectives are at the moment the topic of an inside affairs investigation into whether or not they adopted division coverage concerning demise notifications.

Ganim additionally stated the supervisory officer in command of overseeing each investigations retired on Friday.

“The Bridgeport Police Division has excessive requirements for officer sensitivity particularly in issues involving the demise of a member of the family,” Ganim stated.

Two Bridgeport police detectives have been suspended as they're being investigated over how they dealt with the deaths of two black girls.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media by way of AP

Smith-Fields’ was present in her Bridgeport house on December 12, when a person with whom she’d been on a date the night time earlier than known as police and stated she was unresponsive.

Her demise was dominated an accident by the Connecticut Workplace of the Chief Medical Examiner, the results of drug interactions. Her household disputes that ruling.

Darnell Crosland, an legal professional for Smith-Subject’s household, responded to the information on Twitter.

Lauren Smith-Fields’ demise was dominated unintended and a results of drug interactions.

GoFundMe

Folks protesting towards the police division after Smith-Fields’ demise in Bridgeport on January 23, 2022.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media by way of AP

“Step one in direction of therapeutic is to just accept legal responsibility the place there may be fault. The Mayor of Bridgeport did that in the present day,” Crosland wrote. “The second step is to reply the questions akin to the place is the proof taken from the house why wasn’t it despatched to the lab for testing.”

Smith-Fields’ household stated police didn't notify them of her demise, which they solely realized a few day later from Smith-Fields’ landlord. They stated police ultimately informed them to cease calling with questions on her demise.

Rawls was additionally discovered on December 12 after a person known as police to say she was unresponsive. Her household stated that they had been additionally by no means notified by Bridgeport police.

Smith-Fields and Rawls’ households weren’t notified by police of their deaths.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media by way of AP

Shantell Fields talking at a protest over the police’s dealing with of her daughter’s demise.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media by way of AP

Each deaths are nonetheless below lively investigation by the Bridgeport Police Division and have been assigned to completely different officers, Ganim stated.

With Put up wires