Police in Utica, New York, fatally shot a 13-year-old boy on Friday night after a foot chase in a residential neighborhood. Authorities later determined the teen was carrying a replica handgun. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. when three officers stopped two teenagers as part of an investigation into recent robberies. During questioning, one of the teens fled on foot.
As the teen ran, police noticed what appeared to be a handgun. Utica Police Chief Mark Williams stated in a Saturday morning news conference that one of the officers fired his gun, striking the teen, identified as 13-year-old Nyah Mway. The teen was given immediate first aid by officers at the scene and was transported to Wynn Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Following the shooting, officers recovered a pellet gun resembling a Glock 17 handgun with a detachable magazine. “This replica handgun was ultimately found to be a pellet gun,” Williams disclosed.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the department. Two other officers, Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, were also involved in the incident. The officers were patrolling the area in response to at least two recent robberies where the suspects were described as Asian males brandishing a black firearm and forcibly stealing property from victims.
The officers approached the two teens because they matched the robbery suspects’ descriptions and were in the immediate vicinity of the previous robbery at nearly the same time of day. Police released several minutes of body camera footage from all three officers, along with a photo of the replica handgun recovered. In the footage, Mway is seen running from the scene almost immediately after being stopped by the officers. While running, he appears to briefly point what police say was the replica gun at the pursuing officers.
Within about 15 to 20 seconds of the foot chase starting, the footage shows Patterson tackling Mway on a sidewalk. While the two wrestle on the ground, Husnay approaches and fires a single shot. Separate cell phone video of the incident captured by a neighbor has been obtained by CBS News. Police acknowledged the video circulating on social media but stated it does not portray the incident in its entirety.
The New York attorney general’s office announced it has opened an investigation into the shooting. Utica police are conducting their own investigation, and all three officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave.
An interpreter was present at the contentious news conference to translate for the victim’s family and community members. Utica Mayor Michael Galime called for calm, stating, “We understand the weight of this situation and want to ensure that every single piece of this is understood.”
The ethnicity of the victim’s family has not been provided, but Utica has resettled large numbers of refugees in recent years. According to the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, one of the largest numbers of Asian refugees Utica has resettled are from Burma, including the Karen ethnic group, as well as other groups. Other Asian refugees include Vietnamese, Thai, and Cambodians, along with Bosnians, Dominicans, and more. Just over 19% of the once rapidly declining industrial city is now foreign-born.
“This tragedy reminds us of the tremendous challenges our community faces, particularly our partners in law enforcement, who tirelessly strive to ensure our streets remain safe,” Utica City School District interim superintendent Dr. Kathleen Davis said in a statement.
Utica, a city of about 65,000, is located approximately an hour’s drive from Syracuse. The police department is conducting an internal investigation to see whether officers followed policies and training. The state attorney general will open its own case to determine if the shooting was justified.
“I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased party during this difficult time,” Williams said. “This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved.”
Source: CBS News, AP News
