LOUISVILLE — A grand jury in Louisville indicted former police officer Nathan A. Stotts on Monday on charges of second-degree manslaughter and reckless homicide. The charges are connected to the May 30 fatal shooting of 27-year-old Martin Nitzken Jr.

Officers had been dispatched to a neighborhood following a report that three women had been assaulted. Dispatchers informed the responding officers that the suspect was nude and running down the street. Body camera footage released by Louisville police shows Officer Stotts walking with a drawn firearm toward a nude man sitting in the street.

The footage shows the man standing up and moving toward Officer Stotts, who ordered him to stop. The man continued advancing, and Officer Stotts fired one shot. The man fell to his knees and remained motionless until the video ended. Martin Nitzken Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.

Police Chief Paul Humphrey stated at a news conference earlier in the month that Mr. Nitzken was nude, stumbling, and unarmed. Humphrey indicated he intended to terminate Officer Stotts following the release of the body camera footage, but Stotts resigned prior to termination. Humphrey said, "Sometimes we have to make decisions to take people's lives, and this was not one of them."

Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina Whethers stated that the grand jury declined to bring a murder charge against Stotts. The second-degree manslaughter charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five to 10 years, while the reckless homicide charge carries a maximum of one to five years. An attorney for Stotts could not be located in court records on Monday.

The department issued a statement that they remain committed to transparency, accountability, and cooperation with reviewing agencies. The department said, "Because this matter is the focus of criminal and internal investigations, it is inappropriate to comment further." Stotts joined the force in 2024.