Officer kills 13-year-old boy who carried replica gun, police say

NEW YORK (AP) — An upstate New York police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was pinned to the ground after fleeing police while carrying a replica handgun, authorities said Saturday.

The teenager was killed shortly after 10 p.m. Friday in Utica after officers in the city about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Manhattan arrested two youths in connection with an armed robbery investigation, police said.

The youths, both 13, matched the descriptions of the robbery suspects and were in the same neighborhood around the same time the next day, police said. One of them was also walking in the road, which is a violation of state traffic laws.

Body camera video released by police shows an officer saying he needs to search them to make sure they don't have any weapons in their possession. Immediately, one of the two, identified by police as Nyah Mway, runs away.

The authorities have frozen the images of the video where Nyah Mway appears to be pointing his gun at the police officers who are chasing him. Police also edited the video to insert a red circle around the gun to show it to viewers.

Officers believed it was a handgun, police said, but it was later determined to be a replica of a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine.

“During a struggle on the ground” with the teen, one of the officers fired a single shot that struck the boy in the chest, Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said.

The teen received “immediate” first aid from officers and was taken to Wynn Hospital, where he died, the chief said.

The toy gun carried by the teen “is in all respects a realistic firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, a detachable magazine and serial numbers,” police spokesman Lt. Michael Curley said in an email. “However, ultimately it only fires pellets or BBs.”

A witness video posted on Facebook shows one of the police officers chasing Nyah Mway and tackling him to the ground. The officer is also seen hitting the teenager as two other officers arrive. A shot rings out while the teenager is on the ground and the police quickly get up.

The officer who fired his weapon has been identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the agency. Husnay and officers Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Police body camera video shows a chaotic scene.

Nyah Mway points the replica handgun at the officers as he runs away from them. The officers yell “gun!” at each other as they run. Patterson then tackles and punches Nyah Mway, and as the two struggle on the ground, Husnay opens fire.

Officers initially thought Nyah Mway had shot himself in the head, and Patterson said, “I don't know if he shot me.” » It is unclear whether he is referring to Nyah Mway or another police officer. Patterson was not hit.

Bystanders yell at police throughout the recordings, and at one point an officer responds, “We're trying to save him right now!”

The other youth was detained in the back of a police vehicle and was not involved in the shooting.

During his “public safety statement,” a brief interview typically conducted after a police shooting to ensure there is no additional threat, Husnay said he fired a round “directly toward the ground.” He did not know whether Nyah Mway fired at the officers but said he believed the weapon was a 22-caliber pistol.

The police department released the body camera videos following public outcry as the shooting raged in Utica, a city of 65,000. It is home to more than 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit that helps with refugee resettlement.

Nyah Mway, who local media reported was an 8th grade student at Donovan Secondary School, was identified as a Myanmar-born refugee and member of the Karen ethnic minority.

The Karen are an ethnic minority among groups at war with the military rulers of Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country formerly known as Burma. The military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and cracked down on many nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.

A tense news conference ended early Saturday as Williams, the city's mayor and an interpreter struggled to speak amid repeated outbursts from the audience. Community members, including the boy's family, were in attendance.

The police department is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether officers followed policies and training. The state attorney general will open his own investigation to determine whether the shooting was justified.

“I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased at this difficult time,” Mr Williams said. “This is a tragic and traumatic incident for everyone involved. »

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Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Follow Philip Marcelo on twitter.com/philmarcelo.

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