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SECTION A: VOL 29* NO. 19
The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 -13,2019
www.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.com
50C
Former officer sentenced to 20
years in death of unarmed man
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County
Superior Court Judge
LaTisha Dear Jackson
sentenced former DeKalb
County Police officer
Robert Olsen on Nov. 1
to 20 years after Olsen was
convicted in the shooting
death of an unarmed Air
Force veteran. According to
Jackson, Olsen will serve
12 years in custody and
will serve the remaining
eight years on probation.
Olsen did not testify
or offer a statement during
his sentencing hearing.
Olsen was found guilty
on charges of aggravated
assault, two counts of
violation of oath by a
public officer and making a
false statement for actions
resulting in the death of
26-year-old Anthony Hill.
Olsen was indicted by a
DeKalb County grand jury
in 2016 for the shooting
death of Hill in March of
2015. Hill was unarmed at
the time. Family members
of Hill said he was
suffering from a mental
health episode. Olsen’s
defense argued Olsen
feared for his life during
the incident and shot Hill
to protect himself.
Olsen made false
statements to cover up
Carolyn Giummo, mother of Anthony
Hill, speaks to the media after Robert
Olsen is sentenced.
his intent, including
stating Hill was beating
on his chest just before
the shooting, prosecutors
stated. An internal review
board found that Olsen
used excessive force
against Hill. He resigned in
2016 after being indicted
by a DeKalb County Grand
Jury.
Prosecutors requested
that Olsen be sentenced
to a maximum of 30 years
with 25 years to serve in
custody.
“In listening to the
evidence of this trial and
reading all 73 pages and all
25 character witness letters,
people may not recognize
it, but Robert Olsen and
Anthony Hill have a lot
of similarities,” Jackson
said. “They both love their
community, both loved
by their families and both
SEE OLSEN ON PAGE 6
Short voting lines were seen at Avondale Estates city hall. Photos by Carla Parker
DeKalb sees low
numbers in early voting
DeKalb County saw a low turnout for advance and absentee voting for the
2019 general municipal and special election.
BY CARLA PARKER
carla@dekalbchamp.com
D espite several contested
races for mayor and
city council seats in
all DeKalb County cities, the
county saw a low turnout for
advance and absentee voting for
the 2019 general municipal and
special election.
According to DeKalb
County Board of Registration
and Elections, a total of 7,886
registered voters participated in
early voting (7,424) or sent in
absentee ballots (462) between
Oct. 14 and Nov. 1. More
than 3,000 people voted at the
Dunwoody early voting location,
SEE VOTING ON PAGE 6
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JACKSON DELIVERS
FINAL STATE OF CITY
ADDRESS
PAGE 3
JAMAICAN FAMILY SAYS
AT THEIR ISLAND
RESTAURANT CHAIN
PAGE 8
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