Appeals court overturns convictions of former Georgia officer who fatally shot naked Air Force veteran

In this June 6, 2016 file photo, former DeKalb Police Officer Robert Olsen stands during his arraignment in Decatur, Ga. An appeals court has overturned the convictions of Olsen, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, who shot and killed an unarmed, naked man. (AP Photo/Branden Camp, File)

An appeals court has overturned the convictions of a former Georgia police officer who shot and killed an unarmed, naked man.

Robert “Chip” Olsen was responding to a call of a naked man behaving erratically at an Atlanta-area apartment complex in March 2015 when he killed 26-year-old Anthony Hill, a black Air Force veteran who’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Olsen, who worked for the DeKalb County Police Department, said he was acting in self-defense.

jury in 2019 found Olsen guilty of one count of aggravated assault, two counts of violating his oath of office and one count of making a false statement. But jurors found him not guilty on two counts of felony murder. He was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison, followed by eight years of probation.