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White Georgia Police Officer Who Killed Unarmed Black Veteran Found Not Guilty Of Murder

Robert Olsen shot Anthony Hill in March 2015.

A white DeKalb County police officer was found not guilty of felony murder in the death of unarmed Black man Anthony Hill on Monday, October 14.

WSB-TV reports ex-cop, Robert Olsen, was found guilty of aggravated assault, making a false statement and violation of oath. 

On March 9, 2015, Officer Olsen responded to three emergency calls from the manager of an apartment complex in Chamblee, Georgia, a city 13 miles north of Atlanta. Hill, an Air Force veteran, was naked and unarmed when Olsen killed him. 

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Hill, who was medically discharged from the Air Force two years before, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, had swung from his second-story balcony and was knocking on nearby doors. 

The Afghanistan war veteran, according to WSB-TV, stopped taking Lamictal, used to delay mood disorders, his prescribed mental illness medication. The 26-year-old suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 

The shooting sparked national controversy, claiming Olsen used excessive force when he shot the unarmed man twice. The AJC reveals Olsen had also carried a bully club, taser and pepper spray when Hill approached him with his hands to his side. DeKalb Police Chief Cedric Alexander said Olsen chose a deadly firearm over less lethal options. Hill died at the scene. 

Olsen was a seven-year police veteran with the Dekalb County Police Department at the time of the shooting. 

CNN reports Olsen can return home with a $80,000 bond, per Judge Latisha Dear Jackson’s orders. He will be subject to a curfew with ankle monitoring.  

On November 1, Olsen will face sentencing, where he faces up to 35 years behind bars. 

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