An upstate New York city is outraged after a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed during a struggle with police after he allegedly brandished a shotgun, police said.
Police say Nya Mway was shot and killed by a Utica police officer around 10:20 p.m. Friday night when he was stopped by police as he was walking down the street with another minor.
video It’s spreading on social media Three officers are seen chasing the boy down a dark street before one of them tackles him to the ground, as two other officers join the scuffle and passersby shout at the officers.
A woman can be heard yelling, “Watch out, watch out, watch out. You’re on camera.”
Suddenly, a gunshot rings out.
“Oh my goodness! Hey! He shot him!” one shocked witness shouts.
Local residents on Saturday An emotional press conferenceAt times people shouted in defiance of local authorities.
The press conference was originally scheduled to be open only to media personnel, but after seeing a large crowd that had gathered outside City Hall – including 50 members of Mwei’s family – the decision was made to allow the public to attend, Syracuse.com reports.
One person held up a sign that read, “Our parents didn’t run away from the war so their children could be shot by the police.” Syracuse.com reported:.
Mway’s heartbroken mother, who was also there, broke down and cried when the officials’ remarks were translated into her native Burmese, the media reported.
“There’s a lot of emotion going on in this room,” Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said, “but you’re asking us to be transparent and it makes it very hard to be transparent when you’re ignoring us and shouting.”
Williams said Saturday that Mway, who is Asian, pointed what appeared to be a handgun at police while fleeing from them.
The officers wrestled the boy to the ground and fired one shot “during a struggle on the ground,” the chief said.
Police said the boy was shot in the chest and died from his injuries at Winn Hospital in Utica.
Police said a replica Glock pellet gun with a detachable magazine was recovered.
Utica Mayor Michael Galime said the police check was routine but “in a split second it became a tragedy.”
“There are no words that can express at this point what has forever changed since yesterday evening,” Galime said, “and our condolences go out to the family, the local community and everyone in Utica and the surrounding areas for what has happened in this incident.”
After the press conference, Galime approached the boy’s mother and explained that the body camera footage would be released.
As they spoke, a man in the background was yelling that the officers needed to be charged with first-degree murder, according to Syracuse.com.
Another person in the crowd shouted that local residents were fleeing “from persecution by the Burmese army.”
According to the media, Utica is home to a large Burmese population.
The mayor said the attorney general’s office will investigate the shooting, and the Utica Police Department will also be conducting an internal investigation.
“This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved,” Chief Williams said.
The three officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave and their names will be released “in the near future,” he said.
Police acknowledged they were aware of video of the shooting on the internet but said in a statement that it “does not show the full extent of the incident.”
