Family calls for body camera footage release as officer faces manslaughter charge
Family calls for body camera footage release as officer faces manslaughter charge
DEENA ZARUThu, April 9, 2026 at 9:23 PM UTC
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Family calls for body camera footage release as officer faces manslaughter charge
The family of Stephenson King, Jr., a 39-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a Boston police officer, called for the release of body camera footage of the March 11 incident during a press conference on Thursday.
King's father Stephenson King, Sr., a retired law enforcement officer, said that his son experienced mental health issues and his death has left him "broken-hearted."
"I am hurt, disappointed in everything that has happened," he said.
"That police officer on the side of that street was the judge, the jury and the executioner," family attorney Ben Crump said, adding that King's family wants the footage released for "the truth to be revealed."
"Transparency is good for all of us. It's good for the family and it's good for the Boston Police Department," Crump said.
King Family via Ben Crump Law - PHOTO: Stephenson King Jr., is pictured in an undated photo.
Former Boston police officer Nicholas O'Malley faces a voluntary manslaughter charge after firing three shots at King during the incident. O'Malley pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on March 19.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who announced the charges in a March 19 press conference, King was pursued by police because he was a suspect in an unarmed carjacking incident. After King was approached by officers, Hayden said that he refused to follow their commands to exit his vehicle and attempted to drive away from the scene.
"Officer O'Malley fired through the driver's side of the car, striking Mr. King three times and killing him just as he drove away," Hayden said. "The evidence demonstrates that officer O'Malley fired at a moving vehicle, an action prohibited except in limited circumstances not present here, in violation of Massachusetts law and clear BPD procedures."
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He said King didn't drive at the officers and neither officer was in the vehicle's path when O'Malley opened fire.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission suspended O'Malley's law enforcement certification on March 19, records show.
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ABC News reached out to O'Malley's attorney Kenneth Anderson but a request for comment was not answered.
The New England Police Benevolent Association, the union representing members of the Boston Police Department, expressed "solidarity" with O'Malley in a statement on March 21.
"Police officers are often required to make split-second decisions in dangerous and rapidly evolving situations. These decisions are made in real time, under intense pressure, and with the responsibility of protecting the public, their fellow officers, and themselves," the union said. "The reality of modern policing is that officers are frequently placed into circumstances where hesitation can cost lives."
The incident is being investigated by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and the Boston Police Department. Hayden said that the case is being presented to a grand jury and, according to court records, a probable cause hearing has been scheduled on May 21.
"People are arrested and charged in district court prior to the matter going to the grand jury all the time. This case was not treated any differently," he said when asked by a reporter why O'Malley was charged before the case went to a grand jury.
Hayden said that, at this point, investigators do not plan on releasing the body camera footage to the public.
"Neither my office nor the Boston Police Department will be releasing any further evidence, including any body worn camera footage, to the public," he said. "To do so, we clearly compromise and imperil the ongoing investigation and the future prosecution of this most serious matter."
The DA's office reiterated this sentiment in a statement to ABC News on Thursday, saying that "investigators have viewed the body cam video," but "there are no plans to release the video at this point."
ABC News reached out to the Boston Police Department but a request for comment was not returned.
According to ABC's affiliate in Boston, WCVB, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said in a statement following O'Malley's arrest that BPD is "committed to building trust" in the community.
"Today is a difficult day for the Department and our City. We remain committed to our mission of building trust while reducing crime and fear of crime with those we serve. As this case is now in the criminal justice system, we will not comment on the facts at this time," Cox wrote. "We rely on the integrity of the criminal justice system in what we do every day, and this case will be no different. On behalf of the Boston Police Department, we want to extend our sympathies to all of those impacted."
Source: “AOL Breaking”
