We were trained to always offer a backup unit if there was even the slightest possibility that more than one officer might be needed, and let the officer taking lead on the call make that decision. So for instance, if we were sending an officer to a vehicle collision to take a report, odds are they wouldn't need a backup officer. On the other hand, if we were sending them to a domestic violence call, we didn't even offer a backup unit, we simply sent two or more. It wasn't a choice, it was a departmental policy. In a situation like this, I'd have most definitely strongly suggested, if not outright assigned, a backup officer.
The other thing that confuses me is that even if a backup unit had been assigned, Olsen still went in alone. Given the nature of the call, I'd have expected him to stand off and wait for his backup to arrive before approaching Hill, unless the person calling 911 (or a follow-up caller) reported that Hill was an imminent threat to others or himself. If Hill was just meandering around naked and talking nonsensically, there's no pressing need to approach him right this second. Olsen could have monitored him from a distance and waited for his backup before approaching.
Just so many stupid, stupid decisions in this chain of events, and the end result was a man who was mentally ill being shot to death for no reason. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, I really hope that police department takes a long, hard look at its procedures for these situations.
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