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VOLUME 25, NUMBER 30
OCTOBER 25, 2019
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Community activists demand maximum sentence for Robert Olsen in death of military vet Anthony Hill By Valerie J. Morgan Community activists are calling for the maximum 35-year sentence of former DeKalb County police officer Robert Olsen in the death of Air Force veteran Anthony Hill. DeKalb Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the high profile trial, is scheduled to sentence Olsen on Nov. 1 at 9 a.m. Olsen was acquitted on Oct. 14 of felony murder but convicted on aggravated assault, making false statements, and violation of the oath of office. Olsen, 57, faces up to 35 years in prison on the charges and community activists are urging that the judge give him the maximum sentence. State Rep. Shannon Renitta, a Democrat from Decatur, who held a news conference at the Georgia Capitol on Oct. 24, said Hill, who had PTSD, would have been alive today had it not been for the actions of Olsen. “We are here to express full support for the full accountability in the sentencing of officer Robert Olsen for the death of veteran Anthony Hill," Renitta said. “…A life has been stolen from the Hill family. Renitta said Olsen should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. “Juries across the country are not acquitting officers because they haven’t done anything wrong. They are acquitting them because the laws basically state that officers can use any level of force that they choose as long as they feel like their life is in danger and that is wrong,” Renitta said. The DeKalb NAACP is holding
DeKalb Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson
Anthony Hill
a prayer vigil and rally on Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m., at the DeKalb County Courthouse, 556 N. McDonough St., Decatur, ahead of the sentencing. The civil rights organization, which will be joined by other NAACP branches, Alliance for Black Lives and March For Our Lives wants justice for Hill, who was unarmed, naked and having a mental health crisis, when Olsen fatally shot him in 2015 outside a Chamblee apartment complex where Hill lived. “On October 31, 2019, we will be praying that our judicial system delivers a sentence holding Officer Olsen accountable for his actions and one that brings justice to Anthony Hill and his family,” said DeKalb NAACP President Teresa Hardy. “The 4 ½ years in which the trial was delayed were 4 ½ years that the family of Anthony was painfully denied justice. Now that the jurors have done their part, we want to ensure that the sentencing of Robert Olsen is commensurate with the seriousness of his crimes and that the pain experienced by the family of Anthony Hill is not exacerbated by the sentence Olsen may receive
Robert Olsen
because he is a former police officer.” Emotions ran high as the jury, comprised of five blacks and five whites along with one Asian and one Hispanic, deliberated nearly six days. In an interview with On Common Ground News, Juror 31 said whether or not Olsen acted in self-defense in shooting Hill “became an issue” among jurors. As a black man, Juror 31 said he didn’t believe that Hill posed a threat because he was naked and unarmed but he said the jury was divided. Said Juror 31: “We could not agree on the felony murder charges. Some of them felt that (Olsen) acted in self-defense—even though (Hill) was unarmed and naked. They said if we did not drop the murder charges, they would not convict Olsen on the other charges. So, rather than have a mistrial, we all agreed that he was guilty of aggravated assault, making a false statement to Lyn Anderson, the second officer to arrive on the scene and violating the oath of office.” . Juror 31 said there was sufficient testimony to support the false
Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary’s Victory Over Cancer
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tonecrest Mayor Jason Lary has been sporting pink this month in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lary says he wants survivors to know that he stands with them in helping to educate the public on the importance of health checkups, fitness and finding a cure for the disease. Lary’s personal victory over prostate cancer has shown him the importance of being on the frontlines in the battle against cancer. He said he “powered” his way through treatment because he had a great support team—his wife, Debbie, sons Jason, Jr. and James—and other family members and close friends. On Common Ground News sat down with the mayor to discuss his journey, now approaching one year, and how he is now recovering from lymphedema, which occurred as a result of the cancer treatment. To view the video, visit www. ocgnews.com.
SEE ACTIVISTS page 7
New Birth reviews security after pepper spray attack on congregation New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is reviewing its security protocol after two men unleashed pepper spray during the Oct. 20 worship service at the mega church, which is located in the City of Stonecrest. Authorities said more than two dozen people became sick and one person was taken to the hospital. The parishioners complained of difficulty breathing and burning eyes. The incident happened during the Sunday worship service between 10:30 and 11 a.m., officials said. New Birth’s senior pastor, Jamal Bryant, was preaching when the incident
happened in a section of the sanctuary. People were coughing and running as the pepper spray filled the air, members said.
“By the time we realized what happened, the men were running out of the sanctuary,” said one person who did not want to be
identified. Pastor Bryant did not initially realized what had happened as the mass confusion unfolded. Following the incident, however, he described what happened in a video post on his Facebook page: “Two men came in our sanctuary in the middle of service and, we believe, unloaded pepper spray— sprayed it on the ground until fumes began to come up,” Bryant said. “People were running out of the sanctuary. People were gasping, people were crying, people were screaming.” Two young men wearing hoodies are
believed to have released the spray, authorities said. “During Sunday’s service, we experienced an isolated incident that currently is under investigation by our security team and the DeKalb County Police Department. None of our members were injured and we thank the local first responders for promptly addressing this matter. We have a fullscale review of our security procedures and protocols and we will exhaust ourselves to ensure New Birth remains a safe place to worship,” the church said in a statement.