Judge: Officer who shot naked man not entitled to immunity

Source: Associated Press


Kate Brumback, Associated Press
Updated 4:05 pm CDT, Thursday, August 16, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that a white former Atlanta-area police officer who fatally shot an unarmed, naked, mentally ill black veteran isn't entitled to immunity based on self-defense.

Lawyers for Robert Olsen had argued he had the right to act in self-defense and that the charges against him should be dropped. Olsen faces charges including felony murder in the March 2015 death of 27-year-old Anthony Hill, whose family has said he was a U.S. Air Force veteran who struggled with mental health problems.

Olsen was a DeKalb County police officer and was responding to a call about a naked man behaving erratically outside a suburban apartment complex when he fatally shot Hill.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge J.P. Boulee held a pretrial hearing in May that included testimony from Olsen, witnesses to the shooting, use-of-force experts and other police officers.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Judge-Cop-who-shot-naked-man-not-entitled-to-13160900.php