BOSTON — Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden will not release body camera footage of last week’s deadly police shooting of Stephenson King in Roxbury. The decision highlights a growing divide between Massachusetts law and a national trend toward rapid transparency in officer-involved shootings.
In Massachusetts, law enforcement agencies can argue to withhold body camera video until all related court proceedings or internal investigations are concluded. This standard stands in contrast to several other major U.S. cities that now require the public release of such footage within days or weeks of a critical incident.
District Attorney Hayden addressed the footage during a news conference Thursday regarding the decision to charge Boston Police Officer Nicholas O’Malley with voluntary manslaughter for King’s death. “Let me state now in very clear and certain terms: neither my office nor the Boston Police Department will be releasing any further evidence, including any body-worn camera footage,” Hayden said.
Hayden explained that publicizing the video could interfere with the pursuit of justice. “We clearly compromise and imperil the ongoing investigation and the future prosecution of this most serious matter,” Hayden said.
King was behind the wheel of a car reported stolen. O’Malley fired three shots through the driver’s side window as King attempted to flee in the vehicle on Linwood Street. King had a lengthy criminal record that included gun charges.
Kenneth H. Anderson, an attorney for Officer O’Malley, told reporters he agrees with the decision to keep the footage private while the investigation is active. O’Malley has maintained that his actions were taken to protect another officer. If the case proceeds to trial, footage from O’Malley’s body camera and that of his partner are expected to be key evidence.
While Massachusetts maintains these restrictions, several other major municipalities have established specific timelines for public disclosure. Seattle operates under a 72-hour policy, while Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City require critical incident footage to be released within 10 days. Colorado mandates release in 21 days; New York City recently adopted a 30-day rule, and Chicago allows 60 days.
Most policies require that the family of the person struck by gunfire be allowed to view the video before it is released to the public. Legal restrictions can also impact these timelines, especially in cases where law enforcement members face prosecution.
Dan Linskey, a former Boston Police superintendent and chief, noted that there are valid concerns on both sides of the transparency debate. Linskey stated that the national move toward increased access allows the community to see exactly what occurred during police encounters. According to Linskey, publicizing the video could put lingering questions to rest. He noted that if the community sees evidence consistent with police training and experience, it helps them understand the outcome of an incident. Conversely, he stated that if the information is not consistent with training, the video provides a necessary record of what happened.
The body camera footage could remain withheld until all court proceedings related to the shooting are completed. Due to the legal process, it could be years before the video is made public.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
