BOSTON — When Officer Nicholas O'Malley fired three shots into a stolen Honda on March 11, 2026, the man behind the wheel had just terrorized a woman outside a pizza restaurant, dragging her from her running vehicle. He'd refused commands to shut off the engine, partially cracked the window but wouldn't unlock the doors, then threw the car in reverse and rammed a police cruiser before trying to escape.

Yesterday, O'Malley was charged with manslaughter — the first Boston cop prosecuted for an on-duty shooting in more than three decades. The story has dominated headlines. But who was the man he shot?

Mass Daily News exclusively obtained court dockets from the Massachusetts Trial Court system for Stephenson King, 39, the Dorchester man shot and killed that night.

What we found: a career criminal with 47 criminal charges across 17 separate cases spanning two decades — breaking and entering at night while someone was home, two strangulation charges, multiple illegal gun possessions, an assault on an elderly victim. Despite 47 charges, King was convicted on just 3. And a justice system that gave him chance after chance after chance.

Note: Complete court dockets for all 17 criminal cases are linked throughout this article and compiled in the appendix at the end.

When the carjacking happened, King was out on bail on four separate pending felonies and actively wanted on a warrant. He'd been released on $0 bail five times on just one case. No weapon was found in the stolen vehicle.

Officer Nicholas O'Malley, 33, now faces manslaughter charges. He's the first Boston cop prosecuted for an on-duty shooting in more than three decades.

The Assault on an Elderly Victim

In June 2025, King was arrested for assault and battery on an elderly or disabled person with injury — a felony charge. [Court docket]

He was already out on bail on three other pending felony cases: two assaults with dangerous weapons and a second-offense gun charge.

Prosecutors immediately filed a motion to revoke his bail. They wanted him held.

On July 3, 2025, a judge released him without bail — personal recognizance with GPS monitoring and home confinement.

What happened next reveals how the justice system gave a violent repeat offender chance after chance after chance:

August 14, 2025: King violated his conditions of release. Prosecutors filed a motion for a warrant. It was granted.
August 15, 2025: He was arrested and immediately released again with GPS monitoring.
August 18, 2025: Three days later, he violated conditions again. Another warrant issued.
August 20, 2025: Arrested again. This time, his bail was revoked. He was held for three months.
November 19, 2025: Released again.
February 27, 2026: Prosecutors tried again to keep him locked up. The judge denied their motion. King walked free.

It had been twelve days since that release.

March 5, 2026: King violated bail conditions for a third time. A warrant was issued. He was now a fugitive.

March 11, 2026: Six days later, King allegedly dragged a terrified woman from her running vehicle outside a pizza restaurant in Mission Hill. When police arrived, he refused commands, partially cracked the window but wouldn't unlock the doors, then rammed a cruiser trying to escape.

Officer O'Malley fired three shots. King was pronounced dead at a local hospital. No weapon was found in the stolen vehicle.

King had been wanted on an active warrant for six days, out on bail on four pending felonies, and released five times on just the elderly assault case alone.

The Other Three Felonies

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The elderly assault wasn't King's only pending case. When he allegedly committed the carjacking, he was simultaneously out on bail on three other felonies:

Second offense firearm case (Roxbury): In January 2024, King was found passed out on stairs with a loaded Polymer 80 "ghost gun" tucked in his sweatshirt. He posted $2,000 bail and was ordered to wear a GPS monitor. On December 11, 2024 — 15 months before the carjacking — a judge removed his GPS monitoring. [Court docket]

Two assault and battery with dangerous weapon cases (Dorchester): King faced two separate felony assault charges involving dangerous weapons. Both cases were pending when he allegedly committed the carjacking. [Court docket 1] [Court docket 2]

King's criminal history didn't start in 2024. Court records show seventeen separate criminal cases spanning two decades across three Boston courts — including breaking and entering at night while a terrified occupant was inside, two strangulation charges, multiple gun possession cases, drug charges, and repeated domestic violence incidents.

The Prosecution

A week after the shooting, O'Malley was arrested and charged with manslaughter — the first Boston police officer prosecuted for an on-duty shooting in more than three decades.

"This individual was out here at Dorchester" with all four pending cases, O'Malley's defense attorney Anderson argued at the officer's bail hearing, calling it "outrageous" that prosecutors sought $25,000 bail for the officer while King had been released on bail despite facing multiple violent felonies.

Prosecutors allege that despite O'Malley's claims that he feared for his partner's life, "the investigation established that this statement was not true," according to court documents. Boston Police Department reports state that "regardless of their perception, that statement was not factually true." Neither O'Malley nor his partner were actually in danger of being struck by King's vehicle when the shots were fired.

O'Malley pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance with one condition: surrender any firearms in his possession.

The Political Backlash

The prosecution has sparked fierce backlash from law enforcement officials and raised questions about elected officials who rushed to express sympathy for a repeat violent offender while saying nothing about the officer now facing decades in prison.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden offered his condolences to King's family, adding: "His life matters, and my office is firmly committed to seeking justice in this case."

Mayor Michelle Wu told reporters she was "grateful to District Attorney Hayden and Commissioner Cox for the urgency they have brought to this investigation."

She made no mention of Officer O'Malley or the fact that he was responding to a violent carjacking committed by a fugitive wanted on an active warrant who'd been released on $0 bail five times.

Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Union, blasted the prosecution as "a complete tragedy" and called it "a slap in the face to other law enforcement officers." He noted that King had a "long criminal record" and suggested he'd still be alive "if he had complied with officers' commands," according to news reports.

The case now heads to a grand jury. The outcome will determine whether O'Malley becomes the first Boston police officer convicted of manslaughter for an on-duty shooting in modern memory — and whether a justice system that released a career criminal on $0 bail five times bears any responsibility for what happened that night.

Watch: Body Camera Footage of King's Gun Arrest

Stephenson King from bodycam footage showing the loaded gun arrest. Boston Police Department

Appendix: Complete Criminal Record

Court records obtained by Mass Daily News reveal King faced seventeen separate criminal cases across three Boston courts spanning two decades:

Dorchester District Court (9 cases):

• Assault with dangerous weapon (September 2005) — Also charged with possession of Class D drugs with intent to distribute and trespassing — Disposed for statistical purposes [Court docket]
• Firearm, carry without license (July 2006) — Four charges including loaded firearm and trespass — Sent to Gun Court, jury trial — Disposed [Court docket]
• Assault & battery on family/household member (August 2016) — Disposed [Court docket]
• Destruction of property (November 2016) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Strangulation or suffocation (July 2017) — Five charges including "enter at night for felony, person in fear" (breaking and entering at night) — 58A Danger Request filed — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Assault on family/household member (February 2021) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Assault with dangerous weapon (March 2024) — Disposed by Nolle Prosequi [Court docket]
• Assault & battery with dangerous weapon (April 2024) — Three charges including serious bodily injury — Disposed by Nolle Prosequi [Court docket]
• Assault & battery on elderly/disabled with injury (June 2025) — Released five times despite multiple bail violations — Disposed by Nolle Prosequi [Court docket]

Brighton District Court (7 cases):

• Drug possession, Class B (November 2017) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Assault & battery (February 2018) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Strangulation or suffocation (May 2018) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Threat to commit crime (August 2019) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Abuse prevention order, violate (May 2021) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Destruction of property, malicious (February 2022) — Dismissed [Court docket]
• Abuse prevention order, violate (June 2022) — Disposed by plea [Court docket]

Roxbury District Court (1 case):

• Firearm, carry without license (second offense) (January 2024) — GPS monitoring removed December 2024 — Two motions to suppress ALLOWED, charges reduced from 6 to 3 — Trial scheduled April 22, 2026 (never occurred) — Status: Open, pending trial [Court docket]

Mass Daily News will be sure to share more updates on this trial as they become available.

Boston carjacking suspect had 47 prior charges — breaking and entering, strangulations, gun charges — out on bail for FOUR felonies, wanted on warrant when shot by police

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