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DENVER (KDVR) — The decision to drop charges against Matthew Dolloff did not sit well with the family of Lee Keltner.

The Denver district attorney will drop charges against Dolloff, the unlicensed security guard who shot and killed Keltner.

“It didn’t matter what we said to the DA, they were not going to change their mind. They were not going to prosecute this case,” Keltner’s sister, Suzan Keltner, told “The Steffan Tubbs Show on 710 KNUS.”

Lee Keltner at the 2011 National Western Stock Show (Credit: American Angus Association)

The shooting happened during a rally in 2020.

“They explained to me that because my brother went toward them to tell them to get the camera out of his face, and because my brother slapped him open-handed, he had the right to feel fearful for his life,” Keltner said.

It happened during a demonstration where Dolloff was assigned as a security guard to a local news crew. The confrontation was caught on camera.

Legal expert weighs in on decision to drop deadly protest shooting charges

FOX31 legal expert Christopher Decker surmised three reasons why prosecutors dropped charges against Dolloff. The first: He made a reasonable decision based on the situation.

“They make reasonable inferences from the situation, what they’re seeing,” Decker said.

The second: Dolloff’s training in the use of force prepared him for this kind of situation.

“The prosecutor who’s looking at this situation is going to take into account the fact that the person who drew the weapon and discharged at another human being has gone through significant training,” Decker said.

(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The last, Decker said: Dolloff having to make a very fast decision.

“So the length of time and the situation that the shooter was in, in this situation undoubtedly informed the decision of the district attorney to no longer pursue charges,” Decker said.

According to Dolloff’s attorney, Keltner’s family may appeal the DA’s decision at a hearing later this month.

The DA’s office told FOX31 on Thursday they have informed Keltner’s family they do not intend to pursue charges and cannot prove Dolloff’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.