SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — More than two years after his death, David Babcock's family is still in mourning.
"I miss him more than anything," says Babcock's daughter, Elizabeth, as she breaks down in tears. "He wasn't just my dad. He was my best friend."
"It's like a wall comes down and your whole life changes," says widow Regina Babcock.
In February of 2022, Sedro-Woolley police noticed Babcock, 51, driving a car with the wrong license plate.
Attorneys say one officer briefly turned on his lights and siren, but Babcock didn't pull over. They claim the officer then turned his lights and siren off but continued to follow the driver.
The incident continued for 20 miles, with Mount Vernon police eventually joining in.
Finally, police deployed spike strips. As Babcock apparently tried to drive around them, Officer Maxwell Rosser fired nine times. Only one of the bullets hit Babcock -- striking him in the back of the head, killing him.
The incident was captured on a police body camera.
The family's attorneys argue the law at the time prohibited police from pursuing a driver unless they were a threat to the public.
"In this case, they chose to disregard the law and continue to follow Mr. Babcock, and that cost Mr. Babcock his life," says Gemma Zanowski of the Seattle law firm Stritmatter, Kessler, Koehler & Moore.
Attorneys say they don't know why Babcock's car had the wrong license plate, but they maintain the car was not stolen.
Babcock has had several run-ins with the law. He was found guilty of attempting to elude police in 2019 and has two convictions for resisting arrest.
Still, his family says he didn't deserve to die.
"Our children, his grandchildren, are gonna miss out on knowing such a great person," says daughter Alyshia Losey. "He didn't deserve to die. There was no reason for it."
"I still don't understand why, and I probably will never get answers to why that happened," adds her sister Elizabeth.
The family is suing the cities of Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon, along with Skagit County and Officer Rosser.
KING 5 News has reached out to representatives from the respective agencies for comment and all have declined.