In the days since Nickenley Turenne was shot and killed during an interaction with police, his family and friends say a lack of transparency from law enforcement is adding to their frustration and grief.
Turenne, who was 24, was shot early last Saturday morning by three Manchester police officers.
Authorities were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle near an elementary school. According to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office, Turenne was found asleep inside a vehicle with a woman. He awoke and attempted to flee, before crashing the vehicle.
After exiting the car, Turenne, who was Black, was involved in what authorities have described only as an “encounter” with police, before they opened fire. It isn’t clear if Turenne was armed.
“We haven't got any answers,” said Nachelle Augustin, Turenne’s cousin. “When we asked to see the body cam, they're saying ‘no.’”
“It seems like they're trying to hide things,” she added.
The Manchester police department has declined to comment. The incident remains under investigation by the Attorney General’s office. Augustin said her family is attempting to arrange for an independent autopsy, including to determine if Turenne may have been struck in the back.
A young man with a big heart
In the days since his death, family and friends have been grieving a person they say overcame incredible obstacles.
Turenne was born in Haiti. After his mother died, he emigrated to the U.S. with his father as a child, before landing in the Massachusetts child protection system.
“Nickenley very much was a caretaker,” said Ashley Mazuroski, a social worker who worked with Turenne while he resided in a group home. She described him as generous, sometimes to a fault.
“Nickenley had his challenges,” she said. “I think he was someone who just dealt with more than any person should ever have to deal with or encounter, and he did so at a young age and for a long time of his life.”
Another social worker, Matt Paluszek, described Turenne as someone who connected easily with other people, including younger kids in the foster care system.
“He should be remembered as a young man who had a big heart, who went out of his way to put a smile on people's faces,” said Paluszek.
After aging out of the group home, Turenne lived for a period in Nashua in the home of Jennifer Canton. At the time, he was dating her daughter.
“I've seen him cry many times. I've seen his vulnerable side,” said Canton. “We've had deep conversations, and I think he was just a lost soul. I don't think he knew his potential.”
Earlier this year, Turenne was involved in an altercation with an intimate partner.
According to police records, he then violated a protective order by showing up at her job. He was arrested, and a trial on misdemeanor charges was scheduled for later this month.
The circumstances around his encounter with police last Saturday are still unclear. But his cousin, Nachelle Augustin, said she understands why he may have tried to run from police.
“I can one hundred percent tell you he was afraid because we live in America where a lot of Black young men are being killed,” she said. “Obviously, if you see the police, he’s going to be scared.”
Augustin said her family is frustrated by what she considers is a lack of information about the incident, which was the ninth police shooting in the state this year.
In New Hampshire, body cam footage following a police shooting is typically not released until a determination is made on whether the use of force was justified. That process, overseen by the Attorney General’s office, can take months.
“We want justice for him and we're going to do whatever we can to get that,” said Augustin.
