Utica, NY, police shoot 13-year-old Nyah Mway

“Although such an inspection is routine, it became tragic within a few moments,” Mayor Michael Galime (R) said at a press conference on Saturday.

New York State law requires the Attorney General’s Office to investigate all cases in which a police officer may have been responsible for a death.

Police identified the officer who fired his weapon Friday as Patrick Husnay, who has been with the force for six years, and said officers Andrew Citriniti and Bryce Patterson were also present. All three had been on paid leave since Saturday, Williams said.

The killing outraged community members in Utica – about 50 miles east of Syracuse – where Nyah’s relatives and friends had gathered for a vigil in his honor Saturday night. Attempts to reach Nyah’s family were unsuccessful Sunday evening.

The incident began around 10:18 p.m. Friday when officers stopped Nyah and another 13-year-old because they matched the description of the robbery suspects, police said. Nyah was on foot and the other teen, whose identity officers did not publicly release, was riding a bicycle, body camera footage shows.

As the video shows, Nyah begins to flee shortly after an officer tells him they are going to pat him down to make sure he is not carrying any weapons.

According to the footage, officers chase him. At one point, the video shows Nyah turning toward officers while holding what appears to be a gun. An officer can be heard shouting, “I have a gun!”

Police then throw Nyah to the ground while one officer yells, “Drop it!” As the video shows, one of the officers fires a shot, hitting the teenager.

Nyah was taken to a hospital where he died, police said.

What officers thought was a real firearm in his hand turned out to be a replica of a Glock 17 pistol, Police Chief Mark Williams said at the press conference.

Nyah’s family wrote on a fundraising page that they moved to the United States from Myanmar nine years ago as refugees. They described Nyah as an “outgoing kid” who enjoyed riding his bike and spending time with family and friends. He had graduated from middle school two days before the shooting.

Now, the family wrote that they would “never see him grow up.”

Lay Htoo, one of Nyah’s cousins, told the Associated Press that the family was looking for a quiet life away from the violence in Myanmar.

“After all, we came to the United States to get an education and good jobs,” he said.

The shock over the killing was palpable at Saturday’s press conference, where community members cried out as Williams described the shooting.

“I know there are a lot of emotions in this room and a lot of people are upset, but you’re asking us to be transparent,” Williams said. “And if you shout over us, it’s going to be very difficult to do that.”

Galime stepped in to urge calm and said officers wanted to speak directly and privately with Nyah’s family afterward. Spectators continued to chat loudly as officers closed the event.

About a minute before the end, someone in the audience shouted: “We don’t trust you anymore.”