New York State Police shot and killed a 13-year-old boy after he fled from police while holding a replica handgun, authorities said.
Officers arrested Nyah Mway and another 13-year-old boy Friday night after the two men matched the descriptions of suspects wanted in recent robberies in Utica, police said.
As officers questioned the boys, Nyah Mway fled on foot and a chase ensued. Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said police spotted what “appeared to be a handgun.”
An officer then tackled the boy to the ground. “During a struggle on the ground,” another officer fired a single shot that hit the teen in the chest, the police chief said.
He received first aid at the scene, but later died at Wynn Hospital.
Police released several minutes of body camera footage Saturday evening, from all of the officers’ cameras.
This came shortly after outraged members of the local community booed the Utica police chief during a news conference, which was attended by the boy’s family.
Utica Mayor Michael Galime called for calm: “We understand the weight of this situation and want to make sure that every element of this situation is understood. »
The footage appears to show the teenager pointing what police believe to be a replica gun as he runs away. Officers can be heard yelling “gun!” at each other.
Officers thought they saw a real handgun, police said — but it was later determined to be a replica of a Glock 17 weapon that could only fire pellets or BBs.
The three officers involved were on patrol in the West Utica area and were assisting in two recent robbery investigations nearby.
In one incident on June 27, two men armed with a black firearm forcibly demanded and stole property from the victims. The suspects were described as an Asian man and a dark-skinned man, one traveling on foot and the other on a bicycle.
Authorities say they arrested Nyah Mway and the other teenager based on these “identifying factors” around 10 p.m. local time.
The officers involved were named as Patrick Husnay, who fired the fatal shot, Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti. They have been placed on administrative leave.
The shooting is being investigated by the New York attorney general’s office and Utica police.
News Source : www.bbc.com
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