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Stephenson King

Age : 39

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 03/11/2026

Location : 10 Linwood Square

City : Boston

County : Suffolk

State : Massachusetts

Agency : Boston Police Department

Officer(s) :Nicholas O'Malley

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during carjacking response

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 03/11/2026, Boston Police officers responded to a reported carjacking involving a stolen vehicle in the Mission Hill area. Officers located the vehicle a short time later on Linwood Street in Roxbury, where 39-year-old Stephenson King Jr. remained behind the wheel. Officers approached with firearms drawn and ordered King to stop and exit the vehicle.
According to prosecutors, King attempted to drive away. During the encounter, the vehicle backed into an unoccupied Boston police cruiser before moving forward again. Officer Nicholas O'Malley fired three rounds, striking King. King died from his injuries.
Following an investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, prosecutors concluded the use of deadly force was not legally justified. Court records allege body-worn camera footage and witness evidence showed neither O'Malley nor his partner was in the path of King's vehicle or in imminent danger of being struck when the shots were fired. Prosecutors further alleged O'Malley's statement that King "tried to run us over" was not supported by the available video evidence. O'Malley was charged with voluntary manslaughter, pleaded not guilty, and was later indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury, becoming the first Boston police officer in decades to face criminal charges for an on-duty fatal shooting.
King's family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them in the aftermath of the shooting. The family has continued to seek public release of the body-worn camera recordings, arguing they are essential for transparency and accountability.
On 08/04/2026, Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a lawsuit against the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office seeking immediate release of all body-worn camera and dashboard camera footage from the shooting. The lawsuit argues that recordings documenting the use of deadly force by law enforcement are public records of extraordinary public interest and should be disclosed to promote accountability.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has opposed releasing the recordings before trial, arguing that public disclosure could prejudice the criminal proceedings against O'Malley. A judge has ordered the recordings sealed pending trial. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring their release despite the pending prosecution and could establish an important precedent governing public access to police body-camera footage in Massachusetts. O'Malley's criminal case remains pending, with trial currently expected in 2027.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/08/04/boston-police-king-omalley-body-camera-lawsuit
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-08-05/suffolk-da-boston-police-department-sued-for-the-release-of-stephenson-king-body-camera-footage
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/civil-rights-group-sues-for-bodycam-footage-of-deadly-boston-police-shooting/3992336/
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/lawsuit-seeks-release-body-cam-video-stephenson-king-police-shooting/IEWDPYVK7VCXXARWXPUYYLTY5M/
https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/04/09/boston-stephenson-king-lawyer-george-floyd-breonna-taylor
https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/05/20/grand-jury-indicts-boston-police-officer-on-charge-of-manslaughter-in-fatal-shooting/