Shooting victim's family rips statement from Harnett County sheriff, call on DA to resign

Dolly and Tony Griggs, who won a jury ruling this week against the Harnett County minister who shot their son to death in 2013, criticized the county sheriff Thursday for saying it was the right call not to press criminal charges in the case.

They called for Harnett County District Attorney Vernon Stewart to resign.

The Rev. Pat Chisenhall shot Christian Griggs six times on Oct. 12, 2013 – once in the stomach, once in the shoulder and four times in the back. Chisenhall said Griggs was threatening him and attempting to break into his home when he fired the shots from his .22-caliber rifle, and that his actions were justified.

Dolly Griggs filed the lawsuit in 2015 and has long disputed Chisenhall's account of the shooting, saying her son was at his father-in-law's property to pick up his daughter for scheduled visitation.

Read and watch the entire series: Presumption of Fear

Following the verdict Wednesday, Dolly Griggs called on elected officials, including Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, to act in the case and give it a closer look. In her lawsuit, she has argued that the sheriff's office did not adequately investigate the shooting and came to their conclusion that it was justified too quickly.

In a statement Thursday morning, Coats said civil court is a "means to justice" and pointed out that it requires a much lower burden of proof than criminal court.

"As law enforcement officers, when we do not believe the proof reaches that highest standard, we confer with the District Attorney," Coats said in the statement. "In this matter the opinion of both agencies is that the highest burden of proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, cannot be met."

Reached Thursday afternoon, District Attorney Stewart, who ultimately decides whether to seek an indictment on criminal charges, refused to comment on the verdict. He also refused to comment on whether Coats' statement speaks for his own position on the case.

Coats said civil court can sometimes be the "proper place" for such cases, and only requires jurors to agree that the shooter, more likely than not, bears civil responsibility for his actions.

"Yet, that standard is not the criminal justice standard – and all of the evidence produced in the investigation – and even in the civil trial does not meet the criminal justice standard as applied in these circumstances," Coats said in the statement. "No matter how we might think it should be or even if some would like for it to be different, real justice requires the same law to be applied in each unique case just as in any other case, whether we like the result or not."

In an extensive interview with WRAL, Tony and Dolly Griggs said that while they jury's verdict was "progress," they didn't feel that it was justice and they again called for an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation.

"The jury of Harnett County was able to see the truth, and I feel like any criminal jury of Harnett County would come to the same decision," Dolly Griggs said.