‘Breakdown’ S07 Ep. 4: Policing a mental health crisis
When Robert “Chip” Olsen drove his squad car into the Heights at Chamblee apartment complex in March 2015 he was responding to a Signal 22 — a mental illness call.
But was he prepared to handle it?
The fourth episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's podcast 'Breakdown: Judgment Call' examines the challenges that police face as first responders for the mentally ill.
In Olsen’s case, the encounter turned deadly: He shot and killed 26-year-old Anthony Hill, who had stripped naked and was wandering his apartment complex in the middle of the afternoon.
But did it have to?
“Policing a Mental Health Crisis” goes live Tuesday. It’s the latest installment in the The AJC’s award-winning podcast.
It looks at how law enforcement equips and trains officers to handle the mentally ill. The episode also looks at why Olsen’s prosecution became a judicial hot potato in DeKalb County and explores the reasons it’s so rare to prosecute police officers.
Breakdown is now in it’s seventh season. AJC legal affairs writer, Bill Rankin, is back as Breakdown’s host. He’s joined by public safety reporter, Christian Boone.
This season we are also partnering with WSB-Radio.
You can download the podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or your favorite podcasting platform. Or you can stream it on your computer in the player below.
About the Authors
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
