A Georgia police officer who shot a mentally ill, unarmed Black veteran was acquitted of murder on Friday, Nov. 1. Former DeKalb County police officer Robert “Chip” Olsen was acquitted of two murder charges in the 2015 shooting death of 26-year-old Anthony Hill.
The jury found Olsen guilty of aggravated assault, making a false statement and two counts of violation of oath.
The presiding judge, LaTisha Dear Jackson, sentenced Olsen to 20 years in prison on Friday. He must serve 12 years in prison before he can be released.
In March 2015, Olsen was called to an Atlanta apartment complex to investigate a report of a naked man behaving erratically.
Upon arriving, Olsen said he saw a naked man running toward him. Olsen yelled for Hill to stop, then fired his service weapon, striking Hill twice and killing him.
The shooting of an unarmed Black man resulted in civil unrest and protests in the DeKalb and Atlanta areas.
Hill’s family said he had a history of mental illness and he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD after leaving the armed services.
Activists had asked for Olsen to be sentenced to 35 years in prison. But Judge Jackson sentenced him to 20 years and eight years of probation following his release from prison.
