Crest Hill Police Officer Resigns During Internal Investigation

A controversial Crest Hill police officer has resigned. In the midst of an internal investigation into Officer Phil Flores’ conduct following his clearance in the death investigation of Samantha Harer, Officer Flores tendered his resignation.

Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark says, “At 2:30 p.m. Friday I received written notice from Officer Flores of his intent to resign from the Department. We accept his resignation which is effective immediately.”

On February 13, 2018 the Channahon Police Department responded to a call of a female with a gunshot wound. Upon arrival the Channahon Police observed that Samantha Harer, a former Channahon Police Intern who then served as a dispatcher for the Village’s emergency call center, WESCOM, was shot.

Flores, an off-duty Crest Hill police officer and boyfriend of Samantha, was the only other person present in the apartment. Samantha was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Ten month later, in December of 2018, the Will County Coroner determined that Samantha’s cause of death was by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Flores returned to administrative police duties in 2019 while the Crest Hill Police Department conducted an internal investigation to determine if any violation of Department policies occurred.

In a press release, the the City of Crest Hill Police Department says it “is committed to holding its officers to the highest standards of integrity to ensure the trust and confidence of the citizens they protect and serve.”

The vacancy created by Officer Flores’ resignation will be filled from a list of eligible candidates created through the Civil Service Testing process.