Queen NwabuezeJust when we thought, George Floyd’s death had caused black lives to matter in the western world, two police officers in Connecticut blatantly refused to investigate the deaths of two Black women and bring to book the suspects.
The case of the two women identified as Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, and Brenda Lee Rawls, 53, both on 21 December, were mishandled by officers who did not investigate in a timely manner or notify relatives of their death.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAccording to family members of the deceased, the 23-year old was found lifeless in her apartment after a date with a man she had met through a dating app. The man, who is white and whose name, the police refused to release was actually the one who called 911.
However, the police refused to do their job. It was when late Smith-Fields did not respond to text messages or calls that her mother and brother drove to her apartment. They found a note on her door, which read: “If you’re looking for Lauren, call this number.”
Subsequently, Smith-Fields’ landlord was the one who informed the family about her death, passing the contact of the detectives assigned to her family.
Reports say, when the family asked officers about the man who was with her, her mother told newsmen that the investigating detective said not to worry and that “he’s a really nice guy.”
For the 53 years old, the police played similar card. Her family members were not notified directly by the law enforcement. The family got to know about her death through an acquaintance who reportedly found her body unresponsive.
According to Dorothy Washington, Rawl’s sister: “It’s almost like they’re not aware of her death, or they just don’t care and that made us angry.”
“She was raised and born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, paid her taxes, voted and they treated her like she was nothing…like she was roadkill,” she notified.
But respite seemed to have come along. On Sunday, Joseph Ganim, the Mayor of Bridgeport, sharing his condolences with the families of the two women, ordered the immediate suspension of the two officers.
He said, he was “extremely disappointed with the leadership of the Bridgeport Police department”.
Ganim also called for disciplinary action against the two officers, “for lack of sensitivity to the public and failure to follow police policy.”
“The Bridgeport police department has high standards for officer sensitivity, especially in matters involving the death of a family member,” Ganim said. “It is an unacceptable failure if policies were not followed.
Recall George Floyd, the 46-year-old African-American man who died in Minneapolis after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a police man, Derek Chauvin.
Though it may not be immediately apparent, George Floyd’s murder marked a turning point in conversations around the hashtag, BlackLivesMatter.
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