Police Are Opening A Criminal Investigation Six Weeks After The Death Of Lauren Smith-Fields

The move comes after the medical examiner's office determined Smith-Fields died from an overdose of fentanyl mixed with prescription medication and alcohol.BuzzFeed News ReporterLauren Smith-Fields' mother, Shantell Fields, stands with her family during a rally for her daughter in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Jan. 23, 2022.Following weeks of scrutiny over their handling of the case, police said Tuesday they're opening a criminal investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Black woman whose body was found in her home last month after she'd gone on a date with a man she met on an app.The new probe comes a day after the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the autopsy results for Lauren Smith-Fields. The Bridgeport Police Department will be assisted by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as it shifts its query to "the factors that lead to her untimely death," Police Chief Rebeca Garcia said in a statement."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," Garcia said.For weeks, Smith-Fields’ family has criticized the department’s investigation into her death, saying that officers failed to collect key evidence and did not even notify them that she had died.