A former Louisville police officer, Nathan A. Stotts, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of manslaughter and reckless homicide for the fatal shooting of Martin Nitzken Jr. on May 30. Stotts encountered Nitzken, who was naked and allegedly had assaulted three women, and fired a single shot after Nitzken advanced toward him.
The indictment of a former officer for a fatal shooting highlights ongoing scrutiny of police conduct and use-of-force decisions, particularly in the wake of previous controversies involving the Louisville police department.
A former Louisville police officer, Nathan A. Stotts, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of manslaughter and reckless homicide for the fatal shooting of Martin Nitzken Jr. on May 30. Stotts encountered Nitzken, who was naked and allegedly had assaulted three women, after responding to a call.
Body camera footage released by Louisville police shows Stotts with his gun drawn approaching Nitzken, who was sitting in the street. As Nitzken got up and moved toward the officer, Stotts ordered him to stop before firing one shot. Nitzken was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police Chief Paul Humphrey stated that Nitzken was unarmed and that he would have preferred the officer use nonlethal force. Stotts, who joined the force in 2024, resigned last week after the body camera footage was released.
The grand jury declined to charge Stotts with murder. The manslaughter charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five to 10 years, and the reckless homicide charge has a maximum penalty of one to five years. An attorney for Stotts could not be located in court records. Louisville police stated they remain committed to transparency and cooperation with reviewing agencies.
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