After a prolonged legal battle, former DeKalb County police officer, Robert Olsen, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault in the shooting death of an unarmed Air Force veteran, Anthony Hill, a case from 2015 that caused public uproar and intense scrutiny on police practices. The incident occurred when Olsen responded to calls about Hill acting erratically at an apartment complex and ended with Olsen shooting Hill, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis. According to the DeKalb District Attorney’s office, Olsen falsely claimed self-defense in the shooting.
Olsen originally faced a conviction in October 2019 on multiple charges, however upon appeal, his Aggravated Assault conviction and one count of Violation of Oath by Public Officer were overturned, the appeal's outcome was that Olsen could be retried for the assault charge but not for the violation of oath, leading to the recent guilty plea as part of a negotiated settlement. On Wednesday, Olsen's admission of guilt and the subsequent sentence of 15 years – to serve 12 of those commuted to time already served with the balance on probation – were made official by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, as reported by the DeKalb County District Attorney's news release.
During this long process, the DeKalb District Attorney's Office engaged in extensive dialogue with Hill's family before agreeing to the plea deal, seeking to bring closure to a complex and emotional case. District Attorney Sherry Boston said, “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.” The prosecution team led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Pete Johnson, with support from others, including Senior Assistant District Attorney Buffy Thomas, played a pivotal role in the outcome, as noted by the same news release.
