A 13-year-old boy shot and killed by Utica police Friday evening after brandishing what ultimately was determined to be a pellet gun, according to police, has been identified as Nyah Mway of Utica.
"Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time. We will continue to be as transparent and accessible to the family and community as legally allowed as this process continues," Utica Police Chief Michael P. Galime said in a press release.
The three Utica Police Officers involved in last night’s incident have also been identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the Utica Police Department who fired his weapon striking the juvenile; Bryce Patterson, a four-year veteran; and Andrew Citriniti, a two-and-a-half-year veteran who previously served with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy was on the 900 block of Shaw Street when officers assigned to the Crime Prevention Unit tried to stop him and another juvenile at around 10:18 p.m. during a police investigation.
Police say one of the kids fled from officers during the course of the stop. According to Utica Police Chief Mark Williams, a Utica police officer then shot the 13-year-old during a ground struggle after police said he displayed what appeared to be a handgun.
Officials say a replica Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine was recovered by officers after the shooting. Williams says the gun was found to be a pellet gun. The boy was transported to Wynn Hospital, where he died of his injuries, police said.
The victim was a refugee born in Myanmar and an eighth grader at Donovan Middle School, Lt. Michael Curley, a department spokesperson, confirmed later Saturday.
"At this time, as far as that information is concerned, we will make that public, I just want to make sure and confirm the actions of the officers were correct," Williams said when asked why the boys were initially stopped. "I don't want to put out any information that may be incorrect. So we will address that in the future."
At Saturday morning's police press conference, residents from the area packed Utica City Hall. Emotions were running high among those in attendance, with some criticizing the police.
"They had him down to the ground already," Utica resident Joyce Cortez said. "There is no excuse for this. My son is 14 years old. My son went to school with [the victim]. There's other people out here that have teenage kids that do not want to see this for their own child or their own children. So [police] need to do better. They are highly trained to do better."
Utica resident Kay Klo said, "The community is really frustrated. We want answers and we need justice. And the people are unrestful."
Utica Mayor Mike Galime defended the officers.
"Our police department deals with investigations and situations like this day in and day out and they don't end like this," he said.
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation has opened an investigation.
Police say a critical incident brief will be released that will act as a comprehensive overview of the events. They say they will also release the full body-worn camera footage of the involved officers. Police say they are aware of a video of the incident being shared on social media but say it does not portray the incident in its entirety.
The officers involved in the incident will be placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice.
"This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved," Williams said.
Kathleen Davis, interim superintendent of the Utica City School District, offered condolences to the victim's family in a statement posted online.
Davis expressed “profound sadness” over the “tragic and senseless loss” and also offered support to “our partners in law enforcement, who tirelessly strive to ensure our streets remain safe.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.