The family of a man shot by police wishes officers better identified themselves
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ---The family of Kristopher Mingle Flores Jr. wishes the events that led up to their family member being shot played out differently.
“That power alone for nobody to leave the scene injured was in their hands,” Isaac Flores, Kristopher’s cousin said.
Court documents say Officers Brandon Spec and Randall Goering pulled over Flores Jr. after they witnessed him run a stop sign on Lafayette and Marion streets and almost hit another vehicle.
At the time they witnessed the traffic violation, the officers were investigating something unrelated. Court documents say both officers were wearing a distinctive police badge on their necks. The vehicle they were in was unmarked.
Flores Jr.’s father, Kristopher Flores Sr., said he was with his son earlier in the day and believes he was leaving a dentist appointment at the time the events unfolded. He also knew of his sons plan to visit a friend who lives right across the street from Frank’s Place.
Parking on the Marion Street is limited so the family said Flores Jr. had permission from the bar to park in their lot and parked there frequently.
Flores Jr. admitted to police that he was afraid when he saw the investigators pull into the parking lot behind him and exit their car and pulled a gun to scare them away. He also told police he was not aware the men were police officers until after he was shot and saw a badge hanging from the officer’s neck when he went to provide him aid.
Flores Jr. is currently on probation for an unarmed robbery in the state of Michigan. He told police he was aware he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm because of that.
He was officially charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and pointing a firearm at another person Wednesday. Flores Jr. will be in court for a bail hearing Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
Flores Jr.’s family believes his intentions were not to harm anyone and the description of him as a serious violent felon to be unfair.
Under Indiana Code 35-47-4-5, an unarmed robbery conviction qualifies as a Serious Violent Felony.
“Unless he really felt threatened or in danger, he wouldn’t react violently towards someone,” Isaac Flores said. “Young adults make mistakes and what’s being used against him as a person is something that he made a mistake doing and he was doing his time for.”