US police to probe officer who shot naked, unarmed black man

Protesters react outside the Dekalb County courthouse after it was announced that a grand jury decided to indict a Dekalb County police offer accused of shooting an unarmed naked man in March, on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, in Decatur, Ga. AP

DECATUR, Georgia — Police said Friday they will investigate a white Atlanta-area officer who shot a naked, unarmed, mentally ill black veteran and has been indicted on felony murder and other charges.

Officer Robert Olsen fatally shot Anthony Hill on March 9 while responding to a call of a naked man behaving erratically outside an apartment complex. Olsen was indicted Thursday.

Tensions between police and minorities have risen across the US after a series of shootings mostly involving white law enforcement officers and unarmed African-American males. Critics in Hill’s case, including his family, have focused more on his mental health and whether force should have been used because he was unarmed.

The family of the 27-year-old Hill says he was a US Air Force veteran who struggled with mental health problems.

The DeKalb County Police Department will begin its own administrative investigation to determine what action, if any, it should take against Olsen, department spokesman Maj. Stephen Fore said in an email Friday.

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Olsen was released Friday from jail on $110,200 bond, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cynthia Williams said.

Olsen’s attorney, Don Samuel, said they are disappointed in the grand jury’s decision, but he noted the defense was not allowed to present any witnesses, experts or evidence and was not allowed to challenge any of the prosecution’s evidence.

Georgia law allows police officers to be present during grand jury proceedings when they are being accused of crimes in the course of their official duties and to make a statement at the end of the proceedings that the prosecution cannot question or challenge. Samuel said Olsen spoke before the grand jury for about 20 minutes.

Hill’s family in November filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the DeKalb County Police Department, Olsen, the county and its board of commissioners.

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