Crime
“There is no police officer in this country that would have acted differently,” O’Malley’s defense attorney alleged.
Attorney David Yannetti (left) stands in Suffolk Superior Court with his client, Boston Police officer Nicholas O’Malley, as he is arraigned on a manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of Stephenson King Jr. John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe Staff
June 4, 2026 | 12:32 PM
3 minutes to read
Surrounded by a sea of badges and clutching his wife’s hand, Boston Police Officer Nicholas O’Malley stepped into a downtown courtroom Thursday and pleaded not guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a carjacking suspect.
O’Malley, 34, shot and killed 39-year-old Stephenson King Jr. during a traffic stop in Roxbury last March — a use of deadly force prosecutors have called “excessive.”
Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum alleged O’Malley was not acting in self-defense when he shot King, who was making “essentially a three-point turn” in an attempt to flee. But defense attorney David Yannetti accused prosecutors of presenting a “partial version” of the facts that had been “sanitized quite a bit.”
Court documents indicate the incident began when O’Malley and another officer responded to a reported carjacking in Mission Hill March 11 and found King sitting inside the stolen vehicle in Roxbury. They drew their firearms and yelled commands at King, who purportedly showed them his hands “at times” but did not unlock or turn off the car.
“Bro, I’m gonna f***ing shoot you,” O’Malley allegedly shouted to King through the window, “while holstering his firearm in favor of a Taser.”
Authorities say King then tried to flee, backing into an unoccupied police cruiser as he maneuvered the car forward and back. As King began to pull forward once more, O’Malley allegedly drew his firearm again and fired three shots. He would later tell officials King “tried to run us over,” according to court documents, though prosecutors say body-worn camera footage revealed neither officer was in danger of being struck.
Stephenson King Sr. leaves court. John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe
But Yannetti emphasized King’s purported noncompliance during Thursday’s hearing, arguing that the Dorchester man “ignored lawful order after lawful order after lawful order.” With King’s family and several members of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association looking on, Yannetti further alleged that King “left Officer O’Malley with no choice.”
The first Boston officer to be charged in a fatal on-duty shooting in decades, O’Malley stayed mostly silent during the brief hearing. He was ultimately released on personal recognizance with orders to surrender any firearms and have no contact with civilian witnesses.
He is due back in court July 23.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Yannetti took aim at Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, whose decision to charge O’Malley with manslaughter bitterly divided local law enforcement and public officials.
“Let’s be clear about it: District Attorney Hayden’s opinion about whether Nick acted correctly, appropriately, reasonably, or necessarily is irrelevant,” Yannetti said. “What is relevant is the evidence that will be presented in a courtroom, and we so look forward to presenting that evidence.”
Attorney David Yannetti (left) speaks outside Suffolk Superior Court with his client, Boston Police officer Nicholas O’Malley, who was arraigned Thursday morning on a manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of Stephenson King Jr. – John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe Staff
Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, accused Hayden of “scapegoating” O’Malley and treating him differently because of his profession.
“The DA is looking for votes in an election year, and he’s operating in a manner that he hasn’t done in the last three-and-a-half years as the chief law enforcement officer of Suffolk County,” the union leader alleged.
Yannetti likewise argued that O’Malley is being prosecuted simply for doing his job.
“It is his job to protect and serve the public, and to make sure that his fellow officer is safe as well, and this man (King) left him no choice,” Yannetti reiterated. “There is no police officer in this country that would have acted differently.”
Boston police officers crowded the courtroom in a show of support for fellow officer Nicholas O’Malley. John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe
Hayden has thus far declined to publicly release bodycam footage of the shooting, despite a push from at least two Boston city councilors. Yannetti said he expects the video will emerge later on in court, also suggesting the footage shows King disregarding O’Malley’s attempts at de-escalation.
“If [King] had just turned the car off and rolled down his window as this lawful police officer ordered him to do very clearly, we wouldn’t be here today,” Yannetti charged.
Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.
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