Former DeKalb County Police Officer’s Convictions Reversed in Case of Unarmed Man’s Death

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – In a recent development, the Georgia Court of Appeals has overturned the convictions of a former DeKalb County police officer, Robert Olsen, in connection to the tragic death of an unarmed man suffering from a mental health crisis. This decision comes after Olsen filed an appeal challenging his convictions on charges of aggravated assault and violation of oath by a public officer.

Originally, Olsen faced multiple charges including two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, making a false statement, and violation of oath by a public officer in relation to the 2015 death of Anthony Hill. However, a jury acquitted Olsen on the felony murder charges, and the false statement charge was merged into another count.

In his appeal, Olsen argued that the trial court had made several errors in handling the DeKalb County Police Department’s use of force policy (UFP). The Court of Appeals determined that while the evidence was sufficient to support Olsen’s conviction on aggravated assault, it was insufficient for the crime of violation of oath by a public officer based on a UFP violation.

The shooting incident occurred in March 2015 when Olsen responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person, later identified as Hill, at an apartment complex. Hill, who was exhibiting unusual behavior, was found lying face down on the concrete before stripping naked and moving to a balcony. When Olsen arrived at the scene, he encountered Hill crouching in the grass between two buildings.

According to court documents, as Olsen exited his vehicle, Hill started running towards him. Olsen, fearing for his safety, drew his service weapon and instructed Hill to stop. When Hill continued to advance, Olsen fired two shots, resulting in Hill’s death. Olsen then falsely claimed to a fellow officer that Hill had attacked him before the shooting.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Olsen maintained that he had acted in self-defense.