13-year-old boy shot dead by police after chase

According to police, a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by a police officer in Utica, New York, on Friday evening after a foot chase.

The boy, who police identified only as Asian, was one of two juveniles stopped by the Utica Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit around 10:18 p.m., police said. After they were stopped, the 13-year-old ran and displayed “what appeared to be a handgun,” police said in a statement.

After a struggle on the ground, a police officer “finally fired a shot from his weapon and hit the man,” Police Chief Mark Williams said at a press conference on Saturday.

The boy was taken to a hospital where he died, police said. Officers later discovered a replica Glock 17 Gen5 pistol with a detachable magazine, the news release said.

According to Police Chief Williams, the replica was an air pistol. The boys were stopped due to an “ongoing police investigation,” he said, but did not elaborate.

“What happened in our community last night is an event that has become all too familiar and routine, over and over again,” said Mayor Michael P. Galime of Utica.

The press conference drew a large crowd of local residents, and as officers spoke, they vented their anger and shouted protests when Chief Williams said the boy appeared to have displayed a weapon. As opposition grew louder, Chief Williams stepped aside so Mr. Galime could try to calm the crowd.

As Chief Williams described the timeline of the shooting and answered reporters’ questions, community members repeatedly spoke up and expressed their frustration.

“There’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Chief Williams once said. “But you’re asking us to be transparent, and if you shout over us, it’s going to be very difficult to do that.”

As the crowd continued to shout at the officials, Mr Galime announced that the press conference was over and they would speak directly to the boy’s family.

A video shared online appears to show the seconds before and after the boy was shot. The footage, captured by a passerby, shows the boy running down a street, closely followed by a police officer. The boy falls to the ground, rolls and gets back on his feet just before a police officer tackles him to the ground.

As he lies on the ground, a police officer hits him and two more police officers rush over. Seconds later, as two of the police officers kneel over the boy, a shot rings out.

In the video, a person can be heard screaming “Oh my God” and “He just shot him” as the boy lies motionless on the ground.

In a statement, officials said they were aware of the video but added that it “does not show the incident in its entirety.” They also said the city would release footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras.

“We ask for your patience during the investigation,” said Chief Williams.

Police will investigate whether policies, procedures and training were followed, Police Chief Williams said. In a parallel investigation, the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation – which is responsible for investigating all incidents in which a police officer may have caused the death of a civilian – will determine whether the shooting was justified, he said.

All officers involved have been placed on leave while retaining their salaries, the police chief said.