The Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday will hear from family members of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls into the law enforcement handling of their respective cases.
See full agenda.
Attorney Darnell Crosland, on behalf of the family of Smith-Fields, has notified the city of his intent to sue that shares details of what the family asserts transpired the night of her death including allegations that a “chain of custody issue has been intentionally or negligently created by the Bridgeport Police Department” by Detective Kevin Cronin who has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal review.
The two deaths have taken on national significance centered on police insensitivity toward prompt family notification.
Smith-Fields was found dead in her apartment following a night with a white male she met on the dating app Bumble where women initiate contact. He reported her death to police.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Smith-Fields death an accident caused by an overdose of Fentanyl combined with prescription medication and alcohol.
The cause of death for Rawls has not been released.
The public can watch the commission meeting here. The commission website does not provide a call-in number for the public to listen via phone.
