13-year-old shot dead by police after chase in northern New York state

Utica police shot and killed a 13-year-old boy after he displayed what appeared to be a gun following a chase in upstate New York, Utica police said in a statement.

Officers stopped two teenagers around 10 p.m. local time on Friday in Utica, a city of 65,283 people in upstate New York about an hour’s drive from Syracuse, police said. While officers were questioning the teenagers, one of them fled on foot, the statement said.

As he ran, police noticed what “appeared to be a handgun” and pointed it at officers. One of the officers fired his weapon, striking the teen, described as an Asian male. He was immediately given first aid by police officers and taken to Wynn Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said at a news conference Saturday morning.

Officers said they found a replica Glock pistol with a detachable magazine after the shooting.

“Ultimately, it turned out that this replica handgun was an air rifle,” Williams said.

Authorities have not released the names of the deceased 13-year-old and the police officer who shot him until next of kin are notified. An interpreter was present at the press conference to translate for the family and their community in attendance so they could understand the information provided.

The family’s language or ethnicity was not determined, but Utica has taken in many refugees in recent years. According to the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, one of the largest groups of Asian refugees Utica has taken in is from Burma, including members of the Karen ethnic group and other groups. Other Asian refugees include Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, as well as Bosnians, Dominicans and others, the center said. Just over 19 percent of the once rapidly declining industrial city is now foreign-born, the center said.

The interim superintendent of the Utica City School District released a statement Saturday saying that out of respect for the student’s family, his name would not be released.

“This tragedy reminds us of the tremendous challenges facing our community, especially our law enforcement partners who fight tirelessly to keep our streets safe,” said Acting Chief Dr. Kathleen Davis.

A social media video of the incident is circulating on the internet. Regarding the video, the police said: “We are aware of a video of the incident that is circulating on social media platforms, but it does not show the incident in its entirety.”

Police said they are conducting an investigation into the shooting and will release information about the shooting in the coming days, including a critical incident summary and full body camera footage. The police chief said during the press conference that the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave.

This is a developing story, please check back later for updates.