Channahon Police Covered Up Samantha Harer's Death: Lawsuit

The Channahon Police Department and Crest Hill Police Department are accused of conspiring to protect one of their own, troubled Crest Hill Officer Felipe "Phil" Flores, who is accused of killing his 23-year-old girlfriend, Samantha Harer, back in February, a new federal lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit seeks more than $15 million in damages from the defendants, Flores, Channahon and Crest Hill.

Wednesday's lawsuit was filed in downtown Chicago's federal court by Chicago attorney Scott Kamin on behalf of the dead 911 dispatcher's grieving parents, Heather and Kevin Harer.

The Channahon Police Department has left her death as an open investigation. The chief of police and one of his detectives initially went to the parents' house and told them their daughter took her own life. These days, Channahon's Police Department is led by chief Shane Casey and deputy chief Adam Bogart. Another person at the department who has been involved with the case is Detective Andrew McClelland.

Meanwhile, Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark has chosen to keep Flores on his city's payroll, at his regular $80,000 per year salary. Flores has remained on paid suspension since the day of Harer's death, Feb. 13.

Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil has chosen not to issue an official cause and manner of death for Harer. Officially, her death is considered undetermined or unknown.

As for Phil Flores, the six-year Crest Hill officer called 911 on a Tuesday morning eight months ago and claimed she shot herself in the head while he was there inside of her apartment.

The federal lawsuit includes a conspiracy claim involving the Police Department in Channahon and the Police Department in Crest Hill. "Defendants ... conspired to cover up the homicide of Samantha by defendant Phil Flores by tampering with the crime scene and hiding evidence of the homicide."

File image of Samantha Harer and Phil Flores provided to Patch with permission to use