Ex-Kentucky officer charged with manslaughter after shooting naked, unarmed man
Stotts resigned before his termination was complete and is due in court on 22 June
A former Louisville police officer has been indicted on manslaughter and reckless homicide charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a naked, unarmed 27-year-old man — weeks after the city's police chief declared the use of deadly force was not justified.
Grand jury returns indictment
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted former Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Nathan Stotts on one count of second-degree manslaughter and one count of reckless homicide over the death of Martin Nitzken Jr, who was shot and killed on 30 May. Court records reviewed by PEOPLE show Stotts is scheduled to appear for arraignment on 22 June in Jefferson County Circuit Court. The Associated Press, WAVE, WDRB, and WLKY reported that the grand jury declined to indict Stotts on a murder charge.
What the body-camera footage shows
Officers were called to the south side of Louisville following reports of an assault, with police alleging that Nitzken had assaulted three women before leaving the area without any clothing. Body-camera footage released by LMPD and reviewed by PEOPLE shows Stotts approaching Nitzken — who was naked and unarmed — with his service weapon drawn. Nitzken had been sitting in the road but stood up and began walking towards Stotts as the officer repeatedly ordered him to stop. When Nitzken continued moving in his direction, Stotts fired a single shot. Nitzken died at the scene.
Police chief calls for termination
Following the shooting, LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey announced he had initiated the process of terminating Stotts after reviewing body-camera footage, 911 calls, dispatch records, and other preliminary information. Speaking at a news conference on 2 June, Humphrey described Nitzken as "naked, stumbling and unarmed" and made clear the shooting was not warranted.
"Sometimes we have to make decisions to take people's lives, and this was not one of them," he said, adding that he would have preferred to see non-lethal force deployed instead. Stotts resigned from LMPD before the termination process was completed. He had joined the department in 2024, according to the Associated Press.
Family attorney welcomes charges but wants more
Following the indictment, LMPD issued a statement saying it "respects the judicial process and the Grand Jury's decision." Steven Romines, the attorney representing Nitzken's family, welcomed the charges but said the evidence warranted a murder charge. "Police rarely face any accountability for killing someone," Romines told WAVE, WDRB, and WLKY. "So, the fact that he's charged at all, yeah, that's a welcome change." Romines also said he believes the body-camera footage demonstrates what he described as "extreme indifference to human life."
Potential sentences and next court date
Under Kentucky law, a second-degree manslaughter conviction carries a potential sentence of between five and ten years in prison, while reckless homicide is punishable by one to five years. Stotts is due in court for his arraignment on 22 June, and it remains unclear whether he has retained legal representation.
