187 shootings by police in Georgia, one prosecution
An investigation by the AJC and Channel 2 Action News published in December found that, of 184 cases in which Georgia law enforcement officers shot and killed civilians since 2010, not a single case had ever gone to trial.
There have been three more such shootings since then, so the total is now 187. But one other statistic has also changed.
As of last week, authorities have decided to prosecute one of those 187 cases -- a DeKalb officer who opened fire last March on a man who was both naked and unarmed outside an apartment complex in Chamblee.
Officer Robert Olsen has claimed that Anthony Hill was running toward him and ignored commands to stop, so Olsen shot him. Hill died at the scene. What led the district attorney to pursue an indictment in this case, when prosecutors in so many other cases have decided not to seek charges?
About the Author
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.
