Police report details moments leading up to death of Lauren Smith-Fields

Bridgeport police say when they arrived at her apartment on Dec. 12, the man she met on dating app Bumble, Matthew LaFountain, answered the door and was frantic.

News 12 Staff

Jan 31, 2022, 10:35 PM

Updated 1,045 days ago

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News 12 has obtained new information regarding the moments leading up Lauren Smith-Fields' death last month.
Bridgeport police say when they arrived at her apartment on Dec. 12, the man she met on dating app Bumble, Matthew LaFountain, answered the door and was frantic.
They say they found Smith-Fields laying on her back on the floor, dead with dried blood in her nose.
Police say LaFountain told them the night before, on their date, Smith-Fields' brother dropped something off for her and she went right to the bathroom and was there for 15 minutes - but he never asked her about it.
They say LaFountain told police he and Smith-Fields had been drinking and after she fell asleep on the couch, he carried her to her bed.
According to the police report, LaFountain says he heard Smith-Fields snoring at 3 a.m., but when he woke up at 6:30 a.m., she had blood coming out of her nose and was not breathing. He says that's when he called 911.
It was later revealed that Smith-Fields died from an overdose of drugs and alcohol. The police department opened a criminal investigation after the medical examiner released the cause of death.
Two Bridgeport police detectives involved in the investigations of Smith-Fields and the untimely death of Brenda Lee Rawls, who also died in December, have been put on administrative leave.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim says the families felt disrespected by police and were not notified of either of these deaths in a timely manner.
"The Bridgeport Police Department has high standards for officer sensitivity, especially in matters involving the death of a family member. It is an unaccepted failure that policies were not followed. To the families, friends and all who care about human decency that should be shown in these situations – in this case, by members of the police department – I'm very sorry," said Ganim.
He said the deaths of both women are still under active investigation and have been assigned to other members of the Bridgeport Police Department.
News 12 reached out the Smith-Fields' family attorney for comment but has not heard back.
A spokesperson for Bumble said they are now engaged with law enforcement in the investigation in Smith-Fields’ death.