An appeals court has overturned the conviction of former DeKalb County police officer Robert “Chip” Olsen, who was previously found guilty of several charges for fatally shooting a naked and unarmed military veteran, Anthony Hill.
The incident occurred on March 9, 2015, when Olsen responded to a call about Hill behaving erratically at an apartment complex in Chamblee, Georgia.
Upon arrival, Olsen encountered Hill, who allegedly ran towards Olsen’s patrol car. Olsen drew his gun and shot Hill shortly after ordering him to stop.
Olsen claimed self-defense, stating he feared for his safety as Hill allegedly attacked him.
Despite Olsen’s defense, a jury found him guilty of aggravated assault, violation of oath, and making a false statement but not guilty of felony murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However, the Court of Appeals of Georgia overturned Olsen’s conviction, citing improper evidence presentation regarding the police department’s Use of Force Policy.
The court ruled that the policy conflicted with Georgia’s self-defense law.
The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office expressed disagreement with the decision and intends to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, emphasizing their commitment to holding Olsen accountable for Hill’s death.
The ruling by the appeals court has triggered reactions on Instagram. Below are a few of them:
@iceplayer1:
“This is white supremacy. The justice system continues to fail Black people.”
@the.diamond.standard:
“So sick of scared police, like why did you even take the job.”
@_pkpix24:
“Do not call police for mental episodes. They’re not trained.”
@dotdavidbeats:
“Families need to start getting their own justice. These ppl are always getting off with these wicked unlawful crimes on black ppl.”
@clubronron:
“Local elections matter. These local judges, mayors , congressmen ,etc matter more than the president.”
@roderickwedlowe:
“Everything remotely wrong or completely fkd up with Amerikkka is directly related to making whytppo comfortable.”
