Police kill Utica teen who brandished replica handgun, authorities say

NEW YORK (AP) — An upstate New York police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was running with a “realistic-looking firearm,” authorities said Saturday.

Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said the shooting happened Friday night after officers in the city, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Manhattan, arrested two youths shortly after 10 p.m.

One of them ran and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, he said during a press conference at Utica City Hall. Community members, including the boy's family, were in attendance.

One of the officers fired a single shot at the teenager “during a struggle on the ground,” hitting him in the chest, Williams said.

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

He was identified in local media as Nyah Mway, a 13-year-old Karen refugee born in Myanmar and an eighth-grader at Donovan Middle School, and police spokesman Lt. Michael Curley confirmed the name later Saturday.

Utica, a city of more than 65,000 people along the Mohawk River, is home to more than 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit organization that helps resettle refugees.

The Karens are a ethnic minority who are among the groups at war with the military rulers of the Southeast Asian country formerly known as Burma. The army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and repressed numerous non-violent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.

Kathleen Davis, interim superintendent of the Utica City School District, offered her condolences to the victim's family in a statement issued online.

Davis expressed his “deep sadness” over this “tragic and senseless loss” and also offered his support to “our law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to keep our streets safe.”

Williams, the police chief, declined to provide further details about what prompted the stop or preceded the shooting, saying that would be part of the investigation. Officers recovered a replica GLOCK 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine at the scene, he added.

“This is in every way a realistic looking firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazine and serial numbers,” Curley said via email later when asked asked him to give details about the weapon. “However, at the end of the day, he only shoots pellets or BBs.”

Williams said in the coming days the department will release a report on the incident as well as body camera video from the officers involved. The identity of the officer who fired the shot has not been publicly released.

At city hall on Saturday, people sometimes shouted silence at officials' remarks, while at other times people asked for silence so members of the Karen community could hear translations from an interpreter.

Mayor Michael Galime said the city would be transparent in its investigation and that he and other officials would meet privately with the teen's family and other community members.

“We are holding this press conference so that you can all be in this room,” he said. “We understand the weight of this situation and we want to make sure that every element of this situation is understood. Everything will be made public, and everyone in this room and the entire community will have access to all this information.

Williams said the New York State Attorney General's Office will lead the investigation and determine whether it is warranted. The office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

The police department will also conduct its own internal investigation to see if officers followed policies and training, Williams said.

The officers involved will be placed on administrative leave with pay, in accordance with protocol, he added.

Williams said the department was aware of a video of the incident that had circulated on social media, but cautioned that it did not depict the incident in its entirety.

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

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Follow Philippe Marcelo on twitter.com/philmarcelo.