Anthony Hill
World renowned author George Orwell once said that "we sleep peacefully at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf," which refers to those serving their country in the military. Anthony Hill was once among those fighting in the name of patriotism. Not only an intern at a police department and an aspiring musician, he was also a part of the US Air Force, serving his time in Afghanistan. However, he was discharged shortly after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Additionally, like many other veterans, Hill suffered from PTSD. Bridget Anderson, Hill's girlfriend before his death, talked of Hill not receiving the support or care he needed from the Department of Veteran Affairs. She also mentioned Hill stopping his medications prior to the shooting due to side effects.
March 9th, 2015, in Chamblee, Georgia, Hill was said to be running around his apartment complex, nude, hanging from balconies with slurred speech. Officer Robert Olsen was dispatched to the scene after multiple 911 calls. Hill, unarmed and naked, started to approach Olsen. The officer was said to have many defense weapons, such as a baton, pepper spray, taser, etc, but ultimately used his firearm. When Hill started to run towards Olsen, the officer asked Hill to stop twice before shooting him. Hill died on scene.
Many activists, determined to not let Hill's death go unnoticed, took action, including Bridget Anderson. Anderson stated in an interview, "What makes me angry, these people who have fought for our country; they come home, just to be shot down by cops? That's ridiculous."
"What makes me angry, these people who have fought for our country; they come home, just to be shot down by cops? That's ridiculous."
She uses her social media platform to continue to raise awareness for police brutality. Many petitions were made, demanding justice be served, as in 2016, Oslen pleaded not guilty. The prosecution ended up being dragged on for years. Eventually, though, justice was served for Anthony Hill in late 2019, as Oslen was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by 8 years of probation for aggravated assault, violation of oath, and false statement. Additionally, Oslen is banned from working in law enforcement and possessing a firearm for life. Thus, there are no petitions to sign today, but one can still further educate with the provided sources below.
Author: Amy Wang
Contact thettsproject@gmail.com to report misinformation, bias, etc.
Resources
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/us/anthony-hill-robert-olsen-trial-not-guilty/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/us/robert-olsen-anthony-hill-shooting.html
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/who-was-anthony-hill/tKFWur32jtFFdHQgHbtBgP/
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/the-anthony-hill-shooting/3gAeA1iN5FWipG8b2xd4MO/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/us/chamblee-georgia-police-shooting-anthony-hill.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/atlanta-activists-decry-anthony-hill-shooting-n356056