Bridgeport police say they have unanswered questions surrounding the death of a retired city firefighter who they say was "brutally assaulted by a group of teens" weeks before his death.

Clifford Dotson was found dead in his apartment on Oct. 22.

Police say they are not investigating the 70-year-old's death as a homicide. Chief AJ Perez says he initially wanted to pursue the case as a homicide, because witnesses say more than a dozen high school students attacked Dotson in a parking lot when he politely asked them to move so he could park his truck.

After the attack, Dotson wound up spending several days in the hospital. He was found dead three weeks later. Perez says the medical examiner listed the cause of death as "inconclusive," making it impossible to pursue the case as a homicide.

Perez urges any witnesses who left before police arrived to come forward and help with the investigation.

A memorial service for Dotson, who was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Baker Isaac Funeral Home.