Police release body camera footage of teen's fatal shooting, family demands accountability

Warning: The video in this article is explicit and may be disturbing to some viewers.

UTICA, N.Y. (WSYR) — Police in Utica, New York, have released footage from officers' uniform cameras that appears to show a teenager pointing an object at them seconds before he was wrestled to the ground and shot. The boy's family is now demanding justice.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday, June 28, Utica police arrested two 13-year-old boys because they matched the description of a pair of suspects wanted in two recent robberies in the West Utica area, according to a department spokesperson. Officers also noticed one of the teens walking in the roadway, which is a violation of state traffic laws.

“The suspects were described as Asian males who were brandishing a black firearm and were demanding and stealing property from the victims…one on foot and the other on a bicycle,” police said.

Uniform-worn camera footage shows an officer asking if he can search the teens for weapons. Nyah Mway is then seen running away from the officers, who then chase him.

The footage, some of which can be seen in the video player below, then shows Nyah apparently pointing an object at the officers.

“Gun! I have to shoot!” An officer can be heard yelling as they chase Nyah.

Officer Bryce Patterson caught up to Nyah, tackled him to the ground and punched him, and as the two struggled on the ground, Officer Patrick Husnay opened fire, body camera video showed.

The police called for help and provided first aid themselves before an ambulance arrived. Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said at a press conference Saturday, June 29, that the single gunshot hit the youth in the chest.

Along with the video, police released photos, seen below, that show the gun found with Nyah's body. Police have since determined it was a pellet gun marked “Glock.”

“We will cooperate fully with the attorney general’s office,” Williams said Saturday morning. “It’s up to them to decide whether the shooting is justified or not.”

Three officers involved — Patterson, Andrew Citriniti and Husnay, who fired the shot — are on paid administrative leave, a department policy after an officer-involved shooting.

Under New York law, the attorney general's office investigates every death at the hands of law enforcement. The Utica Police Department's investigation, meanwhile, will determine whether officers followed policies and training.

The police chief called the shooting “a tragic and traumatic incident for everyone involved.”

Family and community demand accountability after shooting

As the official investigation continues, Nyah's family and outraged community members have demanded accountability for the death of the teenager, who was born in Myanmar and a member of the Karen ethnic minority.

Utica residents of Karen descent planned to meet Sunday afternoon with Utica Mayor Michael P. Galime, said Daniel Cribb, who works with a Karen community group. A message seeking comment was sent to the town hall.

At a vigil Saturday night, Nyah's brother, Lah, said through an interpreter that he would not be satisfied until the officers “are put in jail,” Syracuse.com reported .

Nyah and her family arrived in the United States nine years ago, according to speakers at the vigil.

Others at the vigil questioned the official version of the shooting.

“None of this matters,” said Kay Klo, one of the people at the rally.

The Associated Press contributed to this report..