The security officer who shot a patient in a Virginia hospital during a struggle will not be charged criminally after it was determined his actions were justified.

The victim’s family says they may still bring a civil lawsuit against Officer Wes Gillespie, who shot the patient after he attacked Gillespie and grabbed the officer’s Taser.

“It’s going to take a lot of money and attention to take care of [the victim] after these injuries, and that money’s going to have to come from somewhere,” the family’s attorney says.

Lynchburg Commonwealth Attorney Mike Doucette says he viewed the shooting from a “self-defense perspective” when announcing that no criminal charges would be brought June 3, reports wdbj7.com.

The announcement came after months of investigating from the Lynchburg Police Department, who also reviewed the incident for possible charges.

Campus Safety had previously reported that Gillespie shot patient Jonathan Warner, 28, four times in Centra Lynchburg General Hospital on January 11. Warner was listed in critical condition immediately after the shooting and will likely be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

The victim’s family was distraught after Doucette’s announcement and say the findings were marred by a conflict of interest. Gillespie had worked for the Lynchburg Police Department, which reviewed the case, in the 1970’s.

Doucette says he considered the possibility of a conflict of interest, but ultimately decided it was not a concern because no one currently employed in the department worked with Gillespie.

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