A DeKalb County police officer turned in his badge late Monday, four days after he was
Robert Olsen, who joined the department eight years ago after a career as nutritionist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, resigned while still under an internal investigation, DeKalb Police Maj. Stephen Fore said.
“In all likelihood he would’ve been terminated,” Fore said.
Olsen, 53, is the first Georgia law enforcement officer in more than six years to face criminal prosecution for shooting a citizen, according to an investigation by The AJC and Channel 2 Action News.
A DeKalb grand jury indicted Olsen on a total of six charges Thursday in the March 9 shooting of Anthony Hill: two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, two counts of violating oath of office and making a false statement.
Olsen was dispatched to the Chamblee Heights Apartments after Hill, diagnosed with bipolar disorder while still in the U.S. Air Force, had stripped naked and walked around the courtyard of the apartments on the afternoon of March 9. His family said Hill took off his clothes as a reaction to his medication.
Hill, who was 27, ignored repeated commands by Olsen to stop but, according to the indictment, did not attack him, as the officer initially alleged.
DeKalb Police Chief James Conroy and Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander declined to comment, as did Olsen’s attorney, Don Samuel.
Samuel told The AJC last week that his client was in “reasonable fear of his safety” and shouldn’t be judged in hindsight for a decision made in the heat of the moment
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