A retired S.C. Highway Patrol trooper who shot and killed an intruder at his home Nov. 14 in Bluffton will not face criminal charges, Solicitor Duffie Stone said today.

Stone said in a release that 51-year-old William “Chuck” Wise of Palmetto Bluff Road was justified in his use of force. Wise shot 39-year-old Paul Rowell, who had attacked Wise at his home, according to authorities.

The decision follows “a thorough investigation by both the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division,” the release said.

“Mr. Wise had a right to protect himself, his family and his home,” Stone said in the release. “The evidence showed that is exactly what he did. He will not be charged with any criminal offense.”