A former DeKalb County Police Department officer named Robert “Chip” Olsen opened fire on an unarmed and naked Anthony Hill on March 9, 2015. BOSSIP previously reported on the killing and Olsen’s subsequent indictment, where he was charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of making a false statement, and two counts of violation of oath by a public officer. A 2019 jury found him guilty on all charges except the two counts of murder. He was given a 20-year sentence with 12 to be served in prison and another 8 years of probation.
Upon appeal, the court ruled that the DeKalb County Police Department’s use-of-force policy, which was used as evidence against Olsen, should have been properly redacted and thus overturned his conviction. However, it was ruled that he could be retired for the aggravated assault charges that he previously faced.
According to WJCL, Olsen appeared in court this week to accept a plea deal that acknowledges his guilt for the crime of aggravated assault in exchange for a 15-year sentence with 12 years commuted to time served. The remainder of the time will be spent on probation in addition to 100 hours of community service before he can be released from government supervision.
Says DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston:
“It has been more than a decade since Anthony Hill’s life was cut tragically short. Defendant Olsen’s guilty plea brings this long, arduous chapter to a close and through it, he has finally accepted some responsibility for his actions. I am proud of the work my team has done to secure justice for Anthony Hill and his family. We have stood with them every step of the way and made this difficult decision only after lengthy discussions with Anthony’s family. We hope this plea provides them some peace.”
We’re not sure that the initial 12 years in prison will still amount to this significantly shorter sentence, even with the time that Olsen has already served, but hopefully, Anthony Hill’s family is healing
