Convictions Overturned for Officer in Fatal Shooting of Black Veteran

The Georgia Court of Appeals cites conflict between local use of force policy and state self-defense law as the reason for overturning the convictions.

• The Georgia Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of former DeKalb County Officer Robert Chip Olsen, who was found guilty in the fatal shooting of Anthony Hill, a Black Air Force veteran diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.
• Hill was naked and behaving erratically outside his Atlanta-area apartment in March 2015 when Olsen, responding to a call, shot him, claiming self-defense.
• The appeals court ruled that certain provisions of the DeKalb County Police Department's use of force policy conflicted with Georgia's self-defense law, leading to the overturning of Olsen's convictions.
• DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced plans to appeal the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court, expressing disagreement with the appeals court's ruling.
• The case has sparked protests and calls for police accountability, becoming part of the national discussion on police interactions with citizens, especially people of color.

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