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Regarding the police conduct of the pursuit, Kansas City attorney John Picerno, who has represented families suing the department, said police chase cases are difficult to win because the laws are written in a way that protects police departments. “Car chases are a different thing entirely, and the law in Missouri is not favorable to plaintiffs in those types of lawsuits,” Picerno said in a phone interview. “Unfortunately, the laws need to be changed in order for plaintiffs to be able to pursue and win a claim under those circumstances.”

"Nobody taught them to do the things that they're doing out there on the street. They're running, recklessly out there on the street of their own volition," Picerno said. It's incumbent upon the leaders in any police department in the United States of America to rein these guys back in."

“I think one of the few and great things about this country that we still have is the right to be tried by jury. And a panel of citizens of our community gets to make a determination based on the facts and the law of whether or not a crime was alleged as opposed to some politicians down in Jeff City saying what should happen in a certain situation,” Picerno said.

Three factors played out in his mind that could’ve changed the entire night, Picerno said. Picerno said he doesn’t believe that Newton was ever in danger or that Nelson even knew he was there. The second factor Picerno mentioned was that Nelson was acting in self-defense and the third being Newton never activated his lights or sirens

Picerno argued Good's actions in the video appeared evasive rather than threatening."When the car starts to back up, that should be the first indication to law enforcement that, A, she's not intent on harming us and, B, she's about getting ready to flee,"

Picerno pointed to a specific detail in the video he wants people to notice.“I don’t think the officer was justified in using lethal force,” Picerno said. “It backs up, first of all. Typically, you wouldn’t associate backing up with an aggressive maneuver to run into some officers who were in front of her.”

Picerno said such cases are evaluated under long-established legal standards governing when officers may use deadly force. “The law on this is very clear,” Picerno said. “The Supreme Court has carved out specific incidences when officers are allowed to shoot into automobiles and fleeing felons or to stop a perceived threat of danger of imminent violence or to protect themselves, and I don’t see any of those factors present in the video that I watched.”

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We asked defense attorney John Picerno, not party to the case, about the legal distinction. He said it comes down to the fact Lester didn’t live long enough to be sentenced.