The household of a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police in central New York on Friday is demanding justice and accountability.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ workplace is investigating the shooting of Nyah Mway, who was born in Myanmar and is a member of its Karen ethnic minority. Utica police stated officers tackled {the teenager} to the bottom after which shot him after a foot chase on Friday.
Police, who’re conducting their very own probe, launched physique digital camera video that confirmed a youth showing to purpose an object at them earlier than they took him to the bottom. The object was a BB gun that seemed like an precise firearm, police stated.
While the official investigations proceeded, Nyah Mway’s household and outraged neighborhood members demanded accountability for the demise of the teenager.
Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch/USA Today Network by way of REUTERS
At a vigil Saturday night time, Nyah Mway’s brother, Lah, stated by means of an interpreter that he would not be happy till the officers “are put in jail,” Syracuse.com reported.
Others on the vigil questioned officers’ account of the shooting.
“None of it adds up,” stated Kay Klo, one of these on the gathering.
According to police, Nyah Mway and one other 13-year-old boy have been stopped Friday night time as a result of they allegedly match descriptions of suspects in an armed theft that occurred the day earlier than in the identical space. Police stated one was additionally strolling in the highway, a violation of state site visitors legislation.
The physique digital camera video exhibits an officer saying he must pat them down for any weapons. While officers have been questioning the kids, one of them – later recognized as Nyah Mway – ran away, turned and appeared to level a black merchandise at them.
Officer Bryce Patterson caught up with Nyah Mway, tackled and punched him, and because the two wrestled on the bottom, Officer Patrick Husnay opened fireplace, physique digital camera video confirmed. Utica Police Chief Mark Williams stated at a information convention Saturday that the one shot hit the youth in the chest.
The teenager was taken to Wynn Hospital, the place he died of his accidents.
Police stated the merchandise the boy was holding was later decided to be a BB or pellet gun that intently resembled a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a removable journal. Police launched a picture displaying the system didn’t have an orange band on the barrel that many BB gunmakers have added in latest years to differentiate their merchandise from firearms.
A bystander video posted to Facebook and obtained by CBS News additionally confirmed an officer tackling the teenager and punching him as two different officers arrived, then a gunshot ringing out as the teenager was on the bottom.
Regarding that video, police stated in a press release that it was “aware of a video of the incident circulating on social media platforms, which does not portray the incident in its entirety.”
Husnay, Patterson and Officer Andrew Citriniti have been positioned on paid administrative depart because the investigations go ahead.
Under New York legislation, the lawyer normal’s workplace appears into each demise by the hands of legislation enforcement. The Utica Police Department’s probe, in the meantime, will discover whether or not officers adopted insurance policies and coaching.
The police chief known as the shooting “a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved.”
Utica’s inhabitants of 65,000 contains greater than 4,200 individuals from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit group that helps to resettle refugees.
Karens are amongst teams warring with the navy rulers of Myanmar, the Southeast Asian nation previously referred to as Burma. The military ousted the elected authorities of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.
Nyah Mway and his household got here to the United States 9 years in the past, in keeping with audio system on the vigil.
“This country is supposed to be a country of freedom, a country of peace,” stated one speaker, Yadana Oo. “What’s going on? Did we run from one persecutor to another?”