Boston Police Officer Pleads Not Guilty To Manslaughter Charge: Report

The charge stems from a March incident in which the officer responded to a vehicle hijacking incident.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Jun 4, 2026 3:16 pm EDT

BOSTON, MA — A police officer pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a carjacking suspect earlier this year, according to a report from NBC 10 Boston.

Nicholas O’Malley, 34, was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court after a grand jury indicted him last month in connection with the March 11 shooting death of Stephenson King Jr., 39. O’Malley had previously been charged in the case, but the indictment moved it to the superior court level.

The charges stem from an incident near Tremont Street and Linwood Square in Roxbury after police located a vehicle that had allegedly been taken during a carjacking. Prosecutors said King initially showed his hands but remained inside the vehicle. O’Malley reportedly warned that he would shoot before King put the vehicle in reverse and struck an unoccupied police cruiser.

According to prosecutors, King then maneuvered the vehicle in an apparent attempt to flee. As he was completing a three-point turn and beginning to drive away, O’Malley fired three shots into the driver's side of the vehicle. All three rounds struck King, and at least one of the gunshot wounds proved fatal.

O’Malley told investigators he believed King was attempting to run over him and fellow Officer Todd Ho. However, prosecutors said body camera footage, surveillance video and witness statements indicated neither officer was in the vehicle's path when the shots were fired.

O’Malley’s attorney argued that prosecutors presented only part of the story and noted that King had allegedly committed a violent carjacking before the encounter with police. O’Malley was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to return to court July 23 for a pre-trial conference.