Police Narcotics And Vice Division Open Criminal Investigation Into Death Of Lauren Smith-Fields

Following a medical examiner’s report involving the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, Bridgeport Police Captain Kevin Gilleran on Tuesday issued this statement:

On December 12, 2021, the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center (EOC) received a call for service regarding an untimely death (No. 21000105864). Upon police arrival, it was found that Ms. Lauren Smith-Fields (DOB 01/23/98) passed away unexpectedly. As is protocol, the Bridgeport Police Department (BPD) Detective Bureau (D.B.) took charge of the untimely death investigation under D.B. case No. 21-105864.

On January 24, 2022, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined the cause and manner of death of Lauren Smith-Fields. The manner of death has been ruled an accident. Her cause of death is an overdose of Fentanyl combined with prescription medication and alcohol. The OCME has notified the next of kin.

Fentanyl is a strong narcotic associated with an epidemic of opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States. The City of Bridgeport is not immune to this epidemic. As a result of the OCME’s report, the Bridgeport Police Narcotics and Vice Division have opened a criminal investigation under N.V. Case No. 22N-015. They will be assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Detective Bureau’s investigation will remain open as intelligence transitions to the Narcotics and Vice Division.

The Bridgeport Police Department’s thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family and friends of Ms. Lauren Smith-Fields.

We encourage anyone with information regarding the narcotics investigation to contact Narcotics and Vice Lieutenant Charles Johnson at (203) 449-2195 or the Bridgeport Police TIPS Line at (203) 576-TIPS.

STATEMENT FROM CHIEF OF POLICE, REBECA GARCIA
“The Bridgeport Police Department continues to treat the untimely death of Lauren Smith-Fields as an active investigation as we are now refocusing our attention and efforts to the factors that lead to her untimely death. We have engaged several partners to assist with this portion of the investigation. Once again, we offer our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Lauren Smith-Fields and ask that anyone with information to please contact 203 576-TIPS.”

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4 comments

  1. I didn’t take long for the family and their attorney to pull the race card–the white guy did it! When I first heard/read about this incident, I said to my myself, “The white guy did it.” I’m not talking about the visitor she had come over. I’m talking about Fantanyl. Rapper Cardi B went on Tweeter and gave he two cents about this story and according to the article, the victim’s brother came over to her apartment, he left and the victim then went to the bathroom. They continued to drink and took a nap. When the white guy woke up, she was out. Sounds like at least one family member knows more. Mr. Fantanyl is one bad white man-he don’t care what color or race you are.

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  2. How could any halfway-intelligent police detective not retain the last person to Party and stay overnight with an untimely-death victim as a person of interest?! And then, offer the unprofessional reason for dismissing interest in this person’s involvement with the victim in terms of his being a “nice guy”?! Of course, “nice guys” (such as Ted Bundy) would never be involved in an “untimely” death…

    And why did it take two days for the victim’s next of kin to be notified about her death when they had conclusive information concerning her identity from the beginning?

    Whether or not the victim’s race played a role in the off-handed way that this case has been handled, thus far, at the very least, there is gross stupidity and callousness involved here on the part of BPD…

    This certainly doesn’t speak well of BPD… Shameful!

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    1. Whenever police don’t have sufficient evidence to charge a person for committing a crime, they must not detain that person. Bpd did nothing wrong. This case may end up like most Fentanyl OD cases. Someone provided the Fentanyl and I’m sure it wasn’t by “accident”. Self inflicted, not a suicide. Looks like she walked the plank, she played Russian Rullet.

      https://drugabusestatistics.org/drug-overdose-deaths/

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    2. Jeff, this is also Shameful, this is from the Conn. Post today, Jan. 25th, BRIDGEPORT — A day after the family of Lauren Smith-Fields called out Mayor Joe Ganim at a march calling for answers in the case of the Bridgeport woman found dead last month, the mayor promised for a “full and fair investigation” and pledged to make any “appropriate changes.”

      “I offer my support in bringing closure to the family during this terrible tragedy,” Ganim’s statement said.
      “First, sensitivity and care is of utmost importance when working with the family of a victim,” Ganim’s statement said. “There is no tolerance for anything less than respect and sensitivity for family members and their loss. To that end, this matter has been referred to the Office of Internal Affairs to conduct a full and fair investigation.”
      Now, here comes Johnny-come-lately Mayor Joe Ganim out of the dark, always leading from behind.

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