Anger erupts after police fatally shoot 13-year-old holding replica gun in New York
Locals in Utica staged a vigil while others protested against New York police after a 13-year-old boy was shot dead on Friday night. Authorities said the teen, a Karen refugee from Myanmar, displayed what looked like a gun. It was later found to be a replica. The police stated in a news release Saturday night that three officers had stopped two teenagers around 10 pm local time Friday.
This action was part of an investigation into several recent robberies. While the officers were questioning the teens, one fled on foot, according to police.
Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said during a Saturday morning news conference that as the teen ran, officers saw what appeared to be a handgun.
The community members at the conference frequently interrupted Williams, expressing their outrage.
One of the officers fired his weapon and struck the teen, who was described as an Asian male.
“A Utica police officer ultimately discharged his firearm once, striking the male, during a ground struggle,”
Williams said.
He stated that the teenager, identified as 13-year-old Nyah Mway, received immediate first aid from officers at the scene and was transported to Wynn Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Williams mentioned that after the shooting, officers recovered a pellet gun that resembled a Glock 17 handgun with a detachable magazine. “Ultimately, this replica handgun was determined to be a pellet gun,” Williams revealed.
The officer responsible for the fatal shooting of Mway was named as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the Utica
Police Department. Police stated that two other officers, Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, were also part of the incident involving Mway.
According to a statement released Saturday night, police mentioned that the three officers were conducting patrols in the area following reports of at least two recent robberies.
Police stated that the three officers approached the two teens because they matched the descriptions of suspects involved in recent robberies and were in the vicinity shortly after a robbery occurred.