19-year-old charged with murder in case of young mother shot by Aurora police officer

Giacomo Bologna | Springfield News-Leader

Show Caption Hide Caption Savannah Hill's father interviewed The father of a woman fatally shot by police speaks to KOLR 10 News.

An 19-year-old Aurora man has been charged with felony murder after a traffic stop went horribly wrong Saturday afternoon.

Aurora police were attempting to arrest Mason Farris on a parole violation, court documents say, and ended up fatally shooting a woman who was helping them.

Savannah Hill, a 21-year-old mother of two children, died Monday from the gunshot wound.

Her father said these court documents show his daughter was an innocent victim.

Court documents say Hill called Aurora police from a gas station bathroom at 3:02 p.m. Saturday to tell them Farris was in the back seat of her car.

According to court records, Hill told them Farris would run on foot if they tried to arrest him at the gas station.

Hill said her car had child safety locks and suggested they stop her car as she left the gas station, court documents say.

Eight minutes later, two police cars with three police officers pulled over Hill's car.

Farris, who was in the back seat, tried to get out of the car, documents say, but couldn't.

MORE: Prosecutor says Aurora officer who fatally shot woman cleared of any wrongdoing

The man appeared to move to the front of the car, document say, and the car lurched backward, striking an officer.

Court documents say another officer on the scene — fearing for his life and the life of the officer struck by the car — fired his gun at the driver.

The car stopped, documents say, and Farris ran from the car.

According to court documents, police were able to arrest the man after spraying him with Mace.

Another woman in the car, who had also been cooperating with police, exited the car, court documents say.

That woman told investigators that Farris allegedly yelled, "Don't stop," as Hill pulled the car over.

According to court documents, Farris then pushed Hill's leg onto the accelerator, the witness said, while the witness grabbed the gear shift and tried to put the car in park.

Court records show Farris was charged Friday with murder, two counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and resisting arrest.

Hill's father, Chris Nethery, said these charges are a positive development.

Nethery provided the following statement: “At this time the family is ecstatic that we have the first part of this investigation that proves that our initial feelings — that Savannah was not in control of the vehicle, that she was assisting law enforcement and ultimately became an innocent victim of this tragic incident."

Nethery added, "Please give the highway patrol the respect that they need as they continue on with this investigation.”

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Charging documents filed by prosecutors say Farris used the car to strike Officer Chris Kozisek and tried to strike Officer David Chatman. Chatman is identified as the second officer, who fatally shot Hill after the car struck Kozisek.

This is the first time the officers involved in the incident have been identified.

The Aurora Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (the agency investigating the shooting) had declined to release the names of the officers involved.

Court records show Farris was charged under Missouri’s “felony murder” rule.

Under state law, the rule allows prosecutors to pursue a second-degree murder charge if someone was killed while a felony was being committed — in this case, resisting arrest and assault — regardless of whether or not the killing was intentional.

Court records show Farris was convicted of four felonies committed in 2015 and 2016 — resisting arrest and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

A Department of Corrections spokesman said Farris was incarcerated less than two months after his 18th birthday. He was released from prison in July, she said.

READ: Officer who killed Aurora mother once falsified report about alleged police brutality