A Boston police officer has been charged with manslaughter after prosecutors say he fired into a stolen car and killed a suspected carjacker without legal justification.
Officer Nicholas O’Malley, 33, was arraigned Thursday in Roxbury District Court, where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf as fellow officers filled the courtroom.
The judge released O’Malley on his own recognizance but ordered him to surrender all firearms.
Prosecutors say the case centers on a confrontation that unfolded during a reported carjacking on Tremont Street.
A woman told police she had been sitting in the passenger seat of her running vehicle when a man later identified as 39-year-old Stephenson King approached her.
Investigators say King assaulted the woman, dragged her from the car and drove away. Officers responding to the scene soon located the stolen vehicle.
Charging documents state O’Malley and another officer approached the car with guns drawn and issued commands.
Police ordered King to show his hands, turn off the engine and unlock the doors.
Investigators say King partially complied at times by raising his hands and lowering the window, but he did not follow all commands.
The situation escalated as officers remained positioned near the vehicle. “Bro, I’m gonna f***ing shoot you,” O’Malley warned during the standoff, according to the charging documents.
Prosecutors say King then reversed the vehicle into a police cruiser. Authorities report the vehicle shifted between reverse and drive as King attempted to get away.
Moments later, as the car moved forward again, O’Malley fired three shots through the driver’s side window. The bullets struck King.
Investigators say King drove a short distance before crashing into a stone wall.
Officers pulled him from the car and attempted lifesaving measures at the scene. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The case turned on whether the use of force was justified. Investigators say O’Malley told them he believed King had tried to run officers over.
He also said he feared his partner was about to be crushed. Authorities reviewed body camera footage and witness accounts.
Prosecutors say that evidence showed neither officer was directly in the vehicle’s path when the shots were fired.
Investigators concluded that O’Malley’s belief that deadly force was necessary did not meet the standard required under law.
Charging documents state there is probable cause to believe O’Malley committed voluntary manslaughter by intentionally firing at King without acting in proper self-defense or defense of another.
An autopsy revealed King was struck three times. Two bullets were recovered from his torso. A third was found lodged in the passenger-side seat of the vehicle.
Investigators reported that no weapon was found on King or inside the car. Authorities also pointed to state law governing police use of force.
Massachusetts law restricts officers from firing at moving vehicles unless it is necessary to prevent imminent harm.
The law also requires that force be proportionate to the threat. Prosecutors say the facts in this case did not support that threshold.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said video evidence from the incident will not be released while the investigation remains active.
The case has drawn attention as questions continue around police use of force during vehicle pursuits and confrontations.
A separate incident in New York also placed an officer under scrutiny after an off-duty confrontation turned violent.
An NYPD officer assigned to security at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence and City Hall was suspended after officials said he shot a man in the head.
The shooting took place Monday night in the Bronx after the officer encountered several men near a vehicle.
Sources say the officer believed the group had been involved in the theft of his own car. He exited his vehicle and approached the group with a weapon drawn.
Surveillance video shows the officer moving toward a white car before the situation escalated.
Authorities say the vehicle then began to move. A shot was fired into the car, striking a man in the passenger seat.
The victim, identified as a 30-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Police said the officer has not been arrested or charged as of Thursday. The department placed him on suspension without pay while its Force Investigation Division reviews the shooting.
The gunfire also struck a nearby business. “Imagine if someone was sitting in that window at that time,” bar manager Ada Gomez said after a window at her establishment was cracked by a bullet.
Another case in Texas involved a different outcome when an off-duty deputy confronted a suspected carjacker near Houston.
Authorities say the deputy had just placed his young child into a car seat when a man approached the vehicle and tried to enter.
The deputy drew his weapon and held the suspect at gunpoint. Officials say he then fired after fearing for his child’s safety.
Responding officers found the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Darrius Williams, lying near the vehicle.
He was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Police say the deputy’s child was inside the vehicle during the encounter.
In Milwaukee, dashcam video captured another officer-involved shooting following a roadside confrontation.
Police say an off-duty officer was involved in a minor crash before both drivers exited their vehicles.
Investigators say the other driver approached the officer, pulled a gun and struck him in the face.
The officer drew his service weapon. Authorities say the two exchanged gunfire.
The 26-year-old man who struck the officer was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police reported the officer was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the incident.
The department placed the officer on administrative duty as part of standard procedure.
Officials later released video of the encounter after meeting requirements related to notifying next of kin and disclosure timelines.
Family members of the man who was shot said they wanted the footage made public and believed it showed what happened during the confrontation.
