Overview
- Officer Nicholas O’Malley shot Stephenson King Jr. after King backed a stolen car into an unoccupied police cruiser and began to drive away on March 11.
- A grand jury indicted O’Malley on voluntary manslaughter on May 20 after the district attorney said review of the recorded evidence showed the use of force was not reasonable.
- At a pretrial hearing this week a Suffolk Superior Court judge ordered the body-worn camera material sealed until trial, citing concerns that public release would taint the limited local jury pool.
- Both prosecutors and O’Malley’s defense say the recorded material is decisive for their competing accounts, and media requests to unseal the recording have been declined or left unresolved by records officials.
- O’Malley has pleaded not guilty, remains free on personal recognizance, and faces a September pretrial hearing with a trial expected to begin May 5, 2027 while King’s family continues to press for public access.