Vol. 80/No. 5      February 8, 2016

 

Georgia cop indicted in killing of Anthony Hill

 
ATLANTA — A grand jury indicted DeKalb County police officer Robert Olsen Jan. 21 on felony charges, including murder, for the March 9, 2015, killing of 27-year-old Anthony Hill. It is the first time in more than five years that a cop in Georgia will be prosecuted for a fatal shooting, out of 184 cases.

About 100 cheering protesters greeted Hill’s family outside the courthouse after the indictment was announced. “Hopefully this will at least send a message that if you do wrong you’re going to be held accountable for it,” said Hill’s mother, Carolyn Baylor-Giummo.

An African-American veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Hill had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was struggling to find the right medication. A neighbor called 911 seeking a paramedic after spotting him wandering naked and unarmed outside their apartment complex. The call was dispatched as a suspicious person report. Officer Olsen, who is Caucasian, arrived and shot Hill twice, claiming he feared for his safety.

Leading up to the grand jury hearing more than a dozen protesters, including Hill’s girlfriend Bridget Anderson, camped outside the courthouse in freezing weather for three days, starting on the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Signs and banners at the vigil read “Justice for Anthony Hill” and “Mental Illness Not a Crime.”

A steady stream of people stopped by the encampment to express solidarity, including veterans who told of their struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder; victims of police brutality; activists from Black Lives Matter and the community group Rise Up Georgia; students and religious figures; along with a number of media outlets. Supporters donated food and coffee, as did several local restaurants.

Anderson told the media that Hill’s medication had adverse effects. His tongue would swell and his jaw often locked. He sought medical assistance with the Veterans Administration for months, but appointments were incorrectly scheduled or he’d be on hold for five hours. “The country failed the love of my life,” she said, “not just the police, but the VA.”

“I’m on top of the world,” Anderson told the Atlantic Journal-Constitution after the grand jury decision. “It was such a blatant use of excessive force.”  
 
 
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