One of the lawyers who defended Karen Read in her high-profile murder trial is now joining the legal team of the Boston police officer facing a manslaughter charge after shooting a man who had allegedly carjacked a woman last month.
Attorney David Yannetti’s firm said Thursday that the high-profile lawyer will defend Boston Police Officer Nicholas O’Malley in his upcoming trial for manslaughter in the death of Stephenson King, calling the officer a “good man” who performed his “sworn duty.”
“He is an exemplary family man, a husband and a father to young children. He chose to become a police officer for all the right reasons - to protect and serve the public and to do the right thing when called upon,” Yannetti said in a statement. “Every officer who puts on the uniform realizes the risks of the job and willingly accepts them for the greater good.”
Yannetti had been on Karen Read’s legal team for four years, defending the Mansfield woman in her two murder trials for the death of John O’Keefe.
Read was found not guilty of second-degree murder and other most serious charges in the death of O’Keefe in June 2025.
Officer Nicholas O’Malley, a 33-year-old Westfield State graduate and native of Randolph, was arraigned last month on a charge of manslaughter.
A Boston Police Department narrative detailing the March 11, 2026, incident revealed that there is probable cause to believe O’Malley committed voluntary manslaughter by intentionally firing at 39-year-old Stephenson King, causing his death, and doing so without acting in reasonable self‑defense.
Officers responding to 1590 Tremont Street for a reported carjacking on the evening of March 11 spoke with a woman who said she had been seated in the passenger seat of her running vehicle when a male suspect, later identified as King, had assaulted her and dragged her out of the car before fleeing in it.
Two officers later located the stolen vehicle parked at 10 Linwood Square in Roxbury. Body‑worn camera footage captured the officers approaching the vehicle with their firearms drawn and shouting commands at King, who was reclined in the seat, the police report stated.
According to investigators, O’Malley approached the driver’s window while the other positioned himself behind the vehicle. O’Malley then allegedly drew a Taser and yelled, “Bro, I’m gonna f---ing shoot you!”
Authorities say King then shifted the car into reverse and backed toward the officer behind the vehicle, striking a cruiser before moving forward and backward again in an attempt to escape.
During the final forward movement, O’Malley fired his gun at least three times, striking King, according to police. King’s vehicle then accelerated, crashed into a stone wall, and came to a stop. Officers removed King and performed CPR until EMS transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:24 p.m.
An autopsy found that King had been struck three times, with two bullets recovered from his torso. A third projectile was found inside the car’s passenger‑side seat. Investigators say no weapon was found on King or inside the vehicle.
After the shooting, O’Malley allegedly radioed that King had “tried to run us over.” But investigators say body‑worn camera video contradicts that claim, showing that neither officer was in the vehicle’s path when shots were fired.
During an interview, O’Malley allegedly claimed he believed his partner was going to be crushed by the vehicle. However, investigators concluded that the belief was not reasonable based on the video and eyewitness accounts.
Yannetti said Thursday that the Suffolk County DA’s decision to charge Officer O’Malley with a crime is an example of “Monday morning quarterbacking” and does not acknowledge the split-second decisions officers must make every day in life-threatening situations.
“The decision to charge Officer O’Malley with a crime, rather than to acknowledge that his actions occurred during a life-or-death situation, sends a clear message to our police officers that this district attorney’s office does not care about their lives or safety,” Yanneti stated.
King’s family has retained high-profile civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, whose previous clients include the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
“Stephenson King Jr. should be alive today. His family is now forced to carry the pain of a loss that should never have happened,” attorney Ben Crump said in a statement Monday. “His family deserves the full truth, real accountability, and justice that is not delayed or denied. We will not stop fighting until they get it.”
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