Teenager killed by police in New York buried

UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — A 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by police in upstate New York on Saturday after he pointed what turned out to be a gun at officers. He was buried in the process.

Hundreds of people attended Nyah Mway’s funeral in Utica. Mourners filled the funeral home and spilled onto the sidewalk to pay their respects, the Rome Daily Sentinel reported.

Videos shared on social media show that a solemn ceremony subsequently took place at a local cemetery.

Members of the town’s Karen ethnic minority, some of them in traditional dress, laid flowers and wreaths while several Buddhist monks led the gathering in prayer as Mway’s white coffin was lowered into the ground.

At the end of the service, mourners also announced that they plan to hold a peaceful march through the city next Saturday to demand justice for the teenager.

Mway, whose last name is Nyah, was killed on June 28 after he stopped on the street and fled from officers, according to Utica police.

Body camera footage released by police shows officers shouting “Gun!” before one of them throws Mway to the ground and punches him. Another officer opens fire as the two wrestle on the ground.

The teenager was shot in the chest and died in hospital. Police said they found an air pistol that resembled a Glock 17 at the scene.

Mway was a Myanmar-born refugee and member of the Karen ethnic minority who had just completed middle school.

His relatives and other members of the local Karen community called for the police to be held accountable, as the boy was already handcuffed and lying on the ground when he was shot.

The Attorney General’s Office is investigating and the police officers involved have been placed on leave in accordance with protocol.

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