A 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by a police officer in Utica, N.Y., after a foot chase on Friday night time, in response to the police.
The boy was one among two juveniles stopped by the Utica Police Division’s Crime Prevention Unit at about 10:18 p.m., the police stated. After they have been stopped, the 13-year-old ran and displayed “what gave the impression to be a handgun,” the police stated in a press release.
After a wrestle on the bottom, a police officer “in the end discharged his firearm as soon as, placing the male,” Mark Williams, the chief of police, stated at a information convention on Saturday.
Lay Htoo, an in depth relative of the boy, recognized him as Nyah Mway.
Nyah was taken to a hospital, the place he died, the police stated. Later, officers recovered a duplicate of a Glock 17 Gen5 handgun with a removable journal, in response to the information launch.
The reproduction was decided to be a pellet gun, in response to Chief Williams.
The boys have been stopped due to an “ongoing police investigation,” he stated, however didn’t clarify additional.
“What occurred yesterday night in our group is an occasion that has change into all too acquainted and routine, over and time and again,” Mayor Michael P. Galime of Utica stated.
Nyah, who graduated from center faculty this week, was the second of 4 kids, Mr. Htoo stated. He cherished taking part in soccer and hanging out along with his buddies, which is what he had instructed his household he was doing Friday night time.
Nyah had instructed his mom, Chee Battle, that he was going to satisfy up with buddies to get meals, Mr. Htoo stated in a telephone interview on Saturday. Ms. Battle waited anxiously for him when he didn’t return by his ordinary time — round 8 or 9 p.m. After 10 p.m., shortly after Nyah was shot, the police got here to their dwelling to inform his dad and mom that he was on the hospital, Mr. Htoo stated.
They drove to the hospital, however by the point they arrived, Nyah had already died.
“They got here dwelling, they couldn’t sleep,” he stated. “They simply cry all night time.”
On the time, Nyah’s dad and mom didn’t totally perceive what had occurred to their son, he stated. It wasn’t till they noticed the movies that had begun to flow into on-line that they realized he had been shot, Mr. Htoo stated.
Nyah’s members of the family are refugees who belong to an ethnic group from Myanmar, previously often known as Burma, and converse the Karen language. They settled in the US about eight years in the past, Mr. Htoo stated.
A group organizer, Yadana Oo, stated the household had fled from persecution and into refugee camps. The US was a possibility to start out contemporary “with out concern of being persecuted by authoritative figures,” she stated.
“To come back right here and to lose your youngster that method, it makes you query,” she stated. “Did we run from one persecutor to a different?”
The information convention on Saturday morning drew a big crowd of residents, and as officers spoke, they voiced their anger, shouting in protest when Chief Williams stated that the boy had appeared to show a gun. Because the pushback grew louder, Chief Williams stepped apart so Mr. Galime might attempt to calm the gang.
As Chief Williams gave a timeline of the taking pictures and answered questions from reporters, group members spoke up repeatedly to voice their frustrations, at occasions making it tough for a Karen interpreter to translate.
“There’s a whole lot of feelings on this room,” Chief Williams stated at one level. “However you’re asking us to be clear, and once you shout over us, it makes it very tough to take action.”
As the gang continued to shout on the officers, Mr. Galime introduced that the information convention was concluded and that they’d converse straight with the boy’s household.
Video shared on-line appeared to indicate the seconds earlier than and after the boy was shot. The footage, which was taken by a bystander, exhibits the boy working down a road, carefully adopted by an officer. The boy falls to the bottom, rolls and will get again onto his ft moments earlier than an officer tackles him to the bottom.
As he’s pinned on the bottom, one officer seems to strike him and two different officers rush over. Inside seconds, as two of the officers kneel over the boy, a gunshot rings out.
An individual may be heard within the video yelling “oh my God” and “he simply shot him” because the boy lies immobile on the bottom.
In a press release, officers stated they have been conscious of the video, including that it “doesn’t painting the incident in its entirety.” In addition they stated the town would launch footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras.
“We ask on your persistence whereas investigating,” Chief Williams stated.
The Police Division will examine to find out whether or not insurance policies, procedures and coaching have been adopted, Chief Williams stated. In a parallel investigation, the New York legal professional basic’s Workplace of Particular Investigation — which is liable for analyzing any incident by which a police officer might need triggered the dying of a civilian — will decide whether or not the taking pictures was justified, he stated.
The officers concerned have been all placed on administrative depart with pay, the police chief stated.
A vigil was scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday on the place the place Nyah was shot.
Jack Begg contributed analysis.
