Family considers civil lawsuit after Galveston officer not indicted in shooting that killed man

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The family of Randy Martin, a 47-year-old man fatally shot by a Galveston police officer during a May traffic stop, says it will continue seeking answers and may pursue a civil lawsuit after a grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict the officer.

Martin's mother, Paula Lynch, said the family is still waiting for clarity about the moments leading up to her son's death.

"It was someone else's decision to take his life, to snuff his life out," Lynch said. "I just want clarity, honesty."

Galveston police have said an officer pulled Martin over on May 18. The encounter later escalated into a confrontation that ended when the officer shot Martin.

RELATED: Man shot and killed by officer during traffic stop in Galveston, police department says

ABC13 previously spoke with Ashley Parks, who was inside the car with Martin and saw everything.

"Six times you shoot him, six times," Parks said the day after the shooting. "Once was enough if you wanted him to get down and stop."

A grand jury on Tuesday decided not to bring criminal charges against the officer involved. It's not clear whether they were able to watch the body camera video or what other evidence they reviewed to determine the officer did not commit a crime.

Martin's family and their attorney said they are disappointed by that decision, but say major questions remain about why the stop became deadly.

"If it was a traffic stop, why was Randy asked to get out of the car?" the family's attorney Albert Ruiz said. "What probable cause did this officer have to get Randy out of the vehicle and then start having some type of altercation that rose to the level where the officer felt it was necessary to shoot him six times?"

The family says it is scheduled to view the officer's body-camera footage within the next couple of weeks. They say what they see could determine whether they file a civil lawsuit against the officer and the Galveston Police Department.

Galveston police sent the following statement:

"We respect the decision made by the Grand Jury. That said, a GPD internal affairs investigation is still ongoing, and GPD has not yet received the Texas Rangers' findings. We anticipate the Rangers releasing their report to the Galveston Police Internal Affairs investigators in the coming days."

SEE ALSO: 'A nightmare': Passenger describes frantic moments during deadly Galveston officer-involved shooting