Protests continued Monday in Utica following the death of a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police on Friday night.
Utica police said they had stopped two juveniles after 10 p.m. that night regarding an investigation. One of the kids ran from police, and officers said he appeared to point a handgun at them.
Police shot the boy, 13-year-old Nyah Mway, who died from his wounds. The gun in the boy's possession turned out to be a pellet gun that looked like a Glock.
A video recorded by a bystander and posted online outraged community members, though police said the video doesn’t show the incident in its entirety. Since then, tensions in the city have been high.
What You Need To Know
- Protestors called for justice outside Utica City Hall Monday, following the death of 13-year-old Nyah Mway
- Protestors believe Mway's death was not justified, despite police claiming they saw Mway point a gun at them
- Investigations into the incident are underway
The local community is taking the topic to leaders, including at an unrelated common council meeting on Monday.
Protestors set up in front of City Hall, chanting for justice.
Thoung Oo is Nyah’s older brother.
“I really miss him," he said. "All I want is to see him one more time in my life.”
He and community leader Kay Klo are calling for justice.
“Our parents, they fled war, they fled persecution. We grew up here. This is our home. We're not running away. This is our home. We’re the future generation. And we're going to fight to see a better day, a more, more, more equality. We are the future. This is our home. We're not running away," Klo said.
“I just look up at the sky and think that he’s gone. He’s not here with us no more. That’s it. I can’t accept the fact that he’s gone from our family. I can’t accept the fact that he don’t get to go to high school. That’s it,” said Oo.
Many community members told Spectrum News 1 they did see the bodycam footage from police, and it has not changed their perspective on what happened.
Utica police have said the officers involved are on paid administrative leave.
Investigations into the incident continue.
