An Atlanta-area police officer who fatally shot an unarmed naked man was indicted on murder charges Thursday, officials said.
A grand jury charged DeKalb County Police officer Robert Olsen with two counts each of murder and violating oath of office, a count of aggravated assault and a count of making a false statement, said District Attorney Robert James.
Olsen shot 27-year-old Anthony Hill in broad daylight in March after reports of a man behaving erratically outside an apartment building. Hill’s family has said the Air Force veteran suffered from mental health problems diagnosed while in the service.
DeKalb County police officer Robert Olsen was placed on administrative leave after shooting Hill.
The shooting of Hill, who was black, by Olsen, who is white, has prompted protests for months. A social justice group called Rise Up Georgia led a campout at the DeKalb courthouse starting Monday night, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“Though an officer has not been indicted for a fatal shooting in Georgia since 2010, we believe that with enough public pressure and an objective look at the facts, the grand jury in this case will make the right decision,” Rise Up said in a statement Monday. An investigation by the newspaper and WSB-TV found no prosecutions in 184 officer-involved shootings in the past five years.
A fellow resident of the Heights at Chamblee apartments alerted police that Hill was wandering naked outside the complex March 9. Friends have told the Journal-Constitution he was likely struggling with a reaction to medication he took for bipolar disorder.
COURTESY OF HILL FAMILYAnthony Hill, shown in his Air Force uniform with family members, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while serving, his friends have said.
Olsen said he was worried for his safety and thought Hill was high on PCP or bath salts at the time. Hill didn’t follow two commands to stop.
Source: Ga. cop who fatally shot unarmed naked man indicted – NY Daily News
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