On sixth day of deliberations, Olsen jury delivers split verdicts
UPDATE: After two days off to consider their differences, jurors returned to work Monday morning searching for unanimity on at least some of the counts against former DeKalb County police officer Robert "Chip" Olsen.
It worked. Minutes after 1 p.m., the jurors announced split verdicts.
They found Olsen not guilty on two felony murder counts, sparing him a sentence of life in prison.
But jurors reached guilty verdicts on four lesser felony charges: two counts of violation of oath of office, aggravated assault and making a false statement.
As the forewoman read the verdicts, Chip Olsen began to sob.
His wife, Kathy Olsen, was inconsolable, yelling, “No! No! No!”
PREVIOUSLY: After two days off to consider their differences, jurors returned to work Monday morning searching for unanimity on at least some of the counts against former DeKalb County police officer Robert "Chip" Olsen.
Olsen, 57, faces two felony murder charges — each carrying a sentence of life in prison — for shooting Hill, a mentally ill Afghanistan War veteran, in March 2015. The former DeKalb County cop had been dispatched to a Chamblee apartment complex where Hill, off his meds, had stripped naked in the middle of the day.
The shooting occurred after Hill, 26, ran — or jogged — toward Olsen, ignoring two commands from the officer to stop. Olsen claims he acted in self-defense, fearing for his personal safety. Prosecutors say he could have apprehended Hill using non-lethal force.
» COMPLETE COVERAGE: Latest on the Olsen trial and the shooting of Anthony Hill
» LISTEN: "Breakdown" podcast takes in-depth look at the Anthony Hill case
Jurors received the case Oct. 4. Since then, they’ve had as many days off as they have spent debating the six-count indictment.
If they don't reach a verdict by lunchtime Monday, they will have spent roughly 27 hours in deliberations. That's how long the jury in the trial of Claud "Tex McIver took in April 2018 to find the Atlanta attorney guilty of felony murder.
Attorneys Don Samuel and Amanda Clark Palmer, who represent Olsen, were also part of McIver’s defense team.
About the Authors
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.
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
