A Connecticut police officer being investigated for his or her actions following the dying of Lauren Smith-Fields has been suspended and positioned on administrative go away, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim introduced Sunday. The household of Smith-Fields, a 23-year outdated Black girl, claims they weren't notified by police after she was discovered useless in December.
One other officer being investigated for the same purpose was additionally positioned on go away, Ganim introduced.
"I need you to know that I'm extraordinarily disillusioned with the management of the Bridgeport Police Division and discover actions taken up up to now unacceptable," Ganim mentioned in an announcement. "After reviewing the issues much more carefully and within the absence of the Police Chief, I've directed Deputy Chief Baraja to instantly placed on administrative go away the 2 officers who're the topic of a Bridgeport Police Workplace of Inner Affairs (OIA) Investigation and disciplinary motion for lack of sensitivity to the general public and failure to comply with police coverage within the dealing with of those two issues."
Ganim final week introduced an inner investigation into the police division's interactions with Smith-Fields' household following her dying.
In December, Smith-Fields was discovered useless at her dwelling following a date with a White man whom she met on the courting app Bumble. Smith-Fields' mom, Shantell Fields, advised CBS Information that she drove to her daughter's dwelling after she was unable to get in contact along with her.
"Once I acquired there, there was a word on the door saying, 'In case you're in search of Lauren, name this quantity,'" she mentioned.
The household mentioned that a detective advised them Smith-Fields had been discovered useless a couple of day and half earlier, however no person reached out to them. Smith-Fields' brother, Tavar Grey-Smith, advised "CBS Mornings" that the detective advised them, "We did not want to achieve out to any member of the family — we had her passport and her ID, so we knew who she was, and had already carried out an post-mortem, and her physique is on the health worker's workplace."
Grey-Smith additionally mentioned that the detective hung up on his and Smith-Fields' father.
The household has known as the police division's response "racially insensitive."
"The Bridgeport Police Division has excessive requirements for officer sensitivity particularly in issues involving the dying of a member of the family," Ganim mentioned Sunday. "It's an unacceptable failure if insurance policies weren't adopted. To the households, mates and all who care in regards to the human decency that needs to be proven in these conditions, on this case by members of the Bridgeport Police Division, I'm very sorry."
An lawyer for Smith-Fields' household advised CBS Information in an announcement that putting the detective on go away is a "step in the best route."
Ganim additionally introduced that the officer who was "in command of overseeing these issues" resigned Friday.
The opposite officer who was suspended is accused of not informing the household of Brenda Rawls, a 53-year-old Black girl, of her dying. Rawls was discovered useless the identical day as Smith-Fields, in accordance with NBC Information.
"No person ever notified us that she died," Rawls' sister advised NBC Information. "We needed to do our personal investigation and discover out the place she was."
Ganim on Sunday mentioned each girls's deaths are being investigated and have been reassigned to totally different members of the Bridgeport Police Division.
Final week, the health worker's workplace mentioned Smith-Fields died of "acute intoxication because of the mixed results of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol," and dominated her dying an accident.
CBS Information correspondent Elise Preston contributed reporting.