Oologah Officer Shot In Head Still Struggling With Medical Needs

A fundraiser was held on Sunday night at the Hard Rock Casino for the Oologah police officer who was shot in the head during a chase last year. The fundraiser was organized by an Owasso officer.

The injured officer sat down with News On 6 and said it has been a struggle dealing with delays in medical care and being unable to work.

6/2/2016 Related Story: Video Shows Oologah Officer's Crash During Police Chase

Dash cam video shows the moment that changed officer Charles Neill's life.

He was shot in the head while chasing after a suspect going nearly 110 miles per hour last May. Neill says he's lucky to be alive and recovering hasn't been easy.

He says much of his medical care is hung up by workers comp.

“Constant headaches from the gunshot wound; I have neck problems and back problems,” Neill said.

“The part of my head where the bullet struck controls your memory, eye problems, short term memory -- I have vision problems because of the wreck," he said.

5/29/2015 Related Story: Witness Films Part Of Crime Spree That Wounded Oologah Officer

Neill just started seeing a neurologist, more than a year after his injuries.

“With brain injuries, there's treatment that you need immediately, and in my case, none of that treatment happened," Neill said.

The U.S. Navy veteran and father of three once was the breadwinner for his family, working two jobs before the crash.

Now, still in recovery, he can't work. And he says he is running out of assistance through workers comp.

“As an officer going into our field you expect stuff like this to happen, you just don't know when it's going to happen,” he said. “You really think that the state will be there for you when it does happen."

Neill isn't sure if he'll ever be healthy enough to go back into police work, but he says if he had to do it all over again, he would.

5/29/2015 Related Story: Bystander Shot At During Rogers County Police Chase