ST CHARLES, Mo. — Video from a Circle K in St. Charles shows the final moments of Kristofer Batsell's life.
He was killed back in November by a man trying to get away from police, but his family and their lawyer said if there was a change in procedure, their son might still be alive today.
"That day, a piece of my heart left and I don't think I'll get it back until it's my time," said Connie Batsell, Kristofer's mom.
The day Connie Batsell is talking about is November 17, 2018, when she lost her fun-loving son who was quickly becoming a success in the music industry.
"A state trooper walks over with his hat in his hands and tells me that a suspect was fleeing the police and your son Kristofer was killed," Connie said.
A moment that would leave any parent in disbelief.
"And I looked at him and I said 'You're telling me my son was killed?' and he said 'Yeah,' and I said 'But it's my son's birthday,'" Connie added.
She had just finished making a birthday dinner for Kristofer's brother, and that's when it hit her.
"I already put the spaghetti sauce on the stove so it was already filled with the aroma of spaghetti sauce and at that moment I realized there would never be a family dinner ever again," said Connie.
The man police said they were trying to catch is Aron Richardson, who had led St. Charles County officers on a high-speed chase for miles.
A wrongful death lawsuit just filed against St. Charles County police accused both Richardson and the St. Charles County officer of driving erratically, disobeying traffic signals and exceeding speed limits.
'I understand police officers have to apprehend, but they have to do it responsibly," she added.
The attorney for Kristofer's family claims the officer ignored not one, but two orders from dispatch to call off the chase.
The family is now calling for a change in procedure so it doesn't happen again.
"Hold on to your kids because you never know when you won't see them again," said Kristofer's dad Ken.
St. Charles County sent us this statement in response to the lawsuit.
St. Charles County is aware that there is a motion to bring the County and Officer Hopkins into an existing lawsuit filed by the Batsell family against Aron Richardson.
The County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Aron Richardson in the death of Krystofer Batsell. The County believes Richardson’s actions are the sole cause of the death. Richardson is awaiting trial for felony murder in the second degree, resisting arrest by fleeing, possession of a controlled substance and DWI. The focus is on prosecuting Richardson for the crimes the County believes he committed that led to the death of Mr. Batsell.