The city plans to pay $1.75 million to the family of 41-year-old Jonathan Mark Lewis Bell, who was shot to death by Bridgeport police officers following a car chase in 2024. He was unarmed.
The other $30,000 will go to the family of Lauren Smith-Fields. They allege Bridgeport police failed to investigate and notify the family of her death in a timely manner in 2021.
The Bridgeport council voted on Monday to approve both settlements.
The city had mandated an independent investigation for the Bell settlement, which concluded the three police officers involved violated multiple department policies.
Smith-Field's family filed a $30 million lawsuit, which alleged officers failed to investigate her death and notify the family promptly. They claimed it was because she was a Black Woman.
Brenda Lee Rawl’s family filed a similar lawsuit for the same amount of money after she was found dead on the same day as Smith-Field in a separate incident. The suit was dismissed.
