Ex-officer gets 12 years in naked man’s fatal shooting

DECATUR, GA. >> A former Georgia police officer convicted of aggravated assault and other crimes in the fatal shooting of an unarmed, naked man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison.

Robert “Chip” Olsen was responding to a call of a naked man behaving erratically at an Atlantaarea apartment complex in March 2015 when he killed 26-year-old Anthony Hill, a black Air Force veteran who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Olsen, who is white, was convicted of one count of aggravated assault, two counts of violating his oath of office and one count of making a false statement. Jurors acquitted him on two counts of felony murder.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson sentenced Olsen to a total of 20 years, with 12 years to serve in prison, followed by eight years of probation.

“I see you,” the judge told Hill’s family, saying she watched them throughout the trial and admired their strength. She told Olsen she also watched him and, while many may have thought he was stoic throughout, she saw him shedding tears and replaying the shooting in his head.

Prosecutors asked for 25 years in prison followed by five years on probation, while defense attorneys asked for five years in prison.

While the sentence was lower than prosecutors wanted, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said she’s grateful Olsen will spend time behind bars and will be held accountable for his actions.

“A badge, a uniform, a gun are not a license to shoot and kill with impunity,” she said.

In an email after the hearing, defense attorney Amanda Clark Palmer said “We cannot say it is an unfair sentence, and we appreciate (the judge’s) thoughtfulness.”

Clark Palmer added that Olsen is remorseful about Hill’s death.