A naked man who was apparently unarmed was shot and killed by a police officer on Monday at an apartment complex in Chamblee, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta, the authorities said.
Anthony Hill, 27, was a 2006 graduate of Berkeley High School and an Air Force veteran.
[fwdevp preset_id=”8″ video_path=”40s8kMH0CeM”]The DeKalb County police chief says officers responded to an apartment complex where residents complained an unclothed Hill was banging on doors and crawling on the ground.
The chief says when an officer confronted Hill he charged at the officer.
The chief says the officer took a step back, drew his gun and fired two shots, hitting Hill in the upper chest. He died at the scene.
Some witnesses told investigators Hill was being aggressive, but one said he was running with his hands up.
@MissJupiter1957 A DeKalb County, GA. officer shot and killed an unharmed naked man on Monday, March 9. pic.twitter.com/CgdOaN7Kof
— Mike Moon (@doccivilwarsr) March 10, 2015
Friends in Berkeley County told us Hill’s behavior was out of character.
“Nice easy going, calm guy, real down to earth guy, someone you could talk to and deal with,” said Phillip Taylor who knew Hill since high school.
Family friend Norman Armstrong believes the shooting could have been avoided.
“I think when someone is naked and there’s no weapon, if you have enough police officers they should be able to handle the situation better. Bring him down rather than shooting him,” Armstrong said.
The officer who shot Hill, a seven year veteran, has been placed on administrative leave.
He is white and Hill was black.
The police chief says he wants a transparent investigation in the wake of other officer-involved shootings around the country.
Agencies/Canadajournal