Former Louisville Officer Indicted on Manslaughter and Reckless Homicide in Naked Man’s Death
The indictments start a criminal prosecution as internal and certification reviews continue and an arraignment is scheduled.
Overview
- A Jefferson County grand jury on Monday charged former LMPD officer Nathan Stotts with second‑degree manslaughter and reckless homicide in the May 30 fatal shooting.
- Stotts encountered 27‑year‑old Martin Nitzken Jr. on Cromarty Way after reports that several people had been assaulted and shot once as Nitzken, who was naked and unarmed, advanced toward him.
- Body‑worn camera footage shows Stotts ordering Nitzken to show his hands, firing a single shot as Nitzken approached, and roughly three minutes and 45 seconds passed before EMS arrived to render aid.
- LMPD began termination proceedings days after the footage was released, Chief Paul Humphrey accepted Stotts’s resignation, and the department will forward findings to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council for possible decertification.
- Stotts is set for arraignment on June 22 and faces felony penalties if convicted while the grand jury declined to indict on a murder count, keeping the criminal case separate from internal and certification reviews.