Killing of Anthony Hill

A civil grand jury convened in October 2015 determined that the shooting should be further investigated.[5] Olsen had told the jury that he had felt threatened by Hill.[18] It decided that a criminal grand jury would hear the evidence.[12]

In January 2016, District Attorney Robert D. James Jr. of DeKalb County announced that he would ask the criminal grand jury to indict, and that a warrant had been issued for Olsen's arrest.[5] Two weeks later, on January 21, 2016, the criminal grand jury indicted Officer Olsen for two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of making a false statement and two counts of violation of oath by a public officer.[12] Felony murder implies the defendant killed someone while committing another felony; the two felonies are the assault and violation of oath charges.[19] The district attorney said that Olsen was charged with making a false statement because he had told another officer during the investigation that Hill had hit him in the chest.[19] He also said the violation of oath charges had to do with his violation of department rules and use of force.[12] An arrest warrant was issued for Olsen on the 21st.[16] He turned himself in that day and was granted a bond of $110,200 and released.[12]

Olsen's indictment marked the first time in six years that an officer was charged with murder in Georgia for shooting someone while on duty.[20] An investigation by news outlets found that no officers had faced prosecution for shootings in Georgia in the previous five years—which saw 184 shootings by police.[13][21][22][1] Unlike any other state in the US, Georgia allows officers (but not regular civilians) to be present during the entire grand jury hearing and to make a statement at the very end that is unchallenged by anyone.[23]

In anticipation of the announcement in late January, dozens of activists known as Rise Up Georgia camped outside the courthouse in tents, displaying hand-made signs in support of Hill for several days before the grand jury announced the indictment of Officer Olsen on all six counts; the group maintained a 24-hour operation in front of the courthouse by sleeping in shifts.[24][16][12] A crowd of several dozen began cheering and chanting when the decision to indict was announced outside the courthouse.[19] Groups involved in the demonstration included Rise Up Georgia, Black Lives Matter, Southerners On New Ground (SONG), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.[17]

Olsen resigned from the DeKalb County Police Department on January 25, 2016.[25] Until that time, this officer was still being paid by DeKalb County.

Olsen pleaded not guilty on June 6, 2016.[26]

The Georgia Supreme Court ruled October 16, 2017, that the prosecution can resume after a year on hold. Olsen and his attorney had argued that the Grand Jury process was compromised, and the indictment should be thrown out, but their motion was denied.[27]

Jury selection began Monday, September 23, 2019, at the DeKalb County Courthouse. Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson presides over the trial proceedings. Three previously assigned judges had recused themselves from the case, which undoubtedly contributed to the delay in setting a trial date. The jury was seated on the morning of Thursday, September 26, with opening statements being delivered, as well as the testimony of three state witnesses.[28]

On October 14, 2019, Olsen was convicted by a jury of one count of aggravated assault, two counts of violating his oath of office and one count of making a false statement. The jury was composed of seven women and five men, with a racial composition of five black people, five white people, one Asian person and one Hispanic person. The jury was divided 9 to 3 in favor of conviction on felony murder but to avoid deadlocking they acquitted him of felony murder and convicted him on the remaining charges. The prosecution argued for a 25-year prison sentence followed by five years probation. Olsen was sentenced on November 1, 2019, to 12 years in prison, followed by eight years of probation by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson. Olsen is also banned for life from working in law enforcement, prohibited from possessing firearms, and prohibited from profiting from the case.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]