An officer in upstate New York fatally shot a 13-year-old who was running with a “realistic appearing firearm,” authorities said on Saturday.
Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said the shooting happened Friday night after officers in the city about 400 kilometres northwest of Manhattan stopped two youths a little after 10pm (local time).
One of them ran and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, he said during a news conference at Utica City Hall.
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Members of the community, including the youth’s family, were in attendance.
One of the officers fired a single shot at the teen “during a ground struggle,” striking him in the chest, Williams said.
The teen was given “immediate” first aid by the officers and taken to Wynn Hospital, where he died, the chief said.
He was identified in local media reports as Nyah Mway, a 13-year-old Karen refugee born in Myanmar and an 8th grader at Donovan Middle School, and Lt. Michael Curley, a police spokesperson, confirmed the name later Saturday.
Utica, a city of more than 65,000 residents located along the Mohawk River, is home to more than 4200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit that helps to resettle the refugees.
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Karens are an ethnic minority that are among the groups warring with the military rulers of the Southeast Asian country formerly known as Burma.
The army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.
Kathleen Davis, interim superintendent of the Utica City School District, offered condolences to the victim’s family in a statement posted online.
Davis expressed “profound sadness” over the “tragic and senseless loss” and also offered support to “our partners in law enforcement, who tirelessly strive to ensure our streets remain safe.”
Williams, the police chief, declined to provide more details about what prompted the stop or preceded the shooting, saying that will be part of the investigation.
Officers recovered a replica of a GLOCK 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine at the scene, he added.
“It is in all aspects a realistic appearing firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazine, and serial numbers,” Curley said via email later, when asked to elaborate about the weapon.
“However ultimately it fires only pellets or BB’s.”
Williams said that in the coming days the department will release a report on the incident as well as the full body camera video from the officers who were involved.
The officer who fired the shot has not been publicly identified.
At City Hall on Saturday, people shouted down officials’ remarks at times, while at other moments people pleaded for silence so members of the Karen community could hear an interpreter’s translations.
Mayor Michael Galime said the city will be transparent in its investigation and he and other officials will meet privately with the teen’s family and other community members.
“We are holding this press conference so you can all be in this room,” he said.
“We understand the weight of this situation, and we want to ensure that every single piece of this is understood. Everything will be released, and everyone in this room and the entire community will have access to all of that information.”
Williams said the Office of the New York State Attorney General will lead the investigation and determine if it was justified.
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The office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.
The police department will also be conducting its own internal investigation to see whether officers followed policies and training, according to Williams.
The officers involved will be placed on administrative leave with pay, in keeping with protocol, he added.
Williams said the department is aware of a video of the incident that has circulated on social media but warned that it does not portray the incident in its entirety.
“I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased party during this difficult time,” he said.
“This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved.”
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