(Daily360.com) A 13-year old boy was shot and killed by New York police after pointing a replica toy gun at the officers. The incident happened in Utica, a city in upstate New York. Shortly after 10 p.m., two minors were stopped by the police for matching the description of the suspects in an armed robbery. Body cam footage was released, which shows the officers telling the boys that they need to search them for weapons.
Nyah Mway ran away from the officers and pointed his replica gun at the officers while he was running away. The officer caught the boy and began to struggle with Mway on the ground. That is when an officer fired one shot into Mway’s chest. They attempted to provide lifesaving first aid before Mway was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The officers say they thought the boy was pointing a real handgun. Mway had possession of a Glock 17 Gen 5 replica with a removable magazine. According to a police statement, the replica was realistic looking with the same markings, serial numbers, and signatures as a real Glock handgun. The replica was only capable of firing non-fatal pellets.
Patrick Husney, an officer on the force for six years, was named as the individual who fired the fatal shot on Mway. Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, who were alongside Husney during the interaction, were placed on paid leave as well as Husney.
The killing of Mway has caused significant anger amongst the immigrant community in Utica. They have called for justice in the case and held a candlelight vigil. The community and his relatives feel that the shooting should not have occurred, because Mway was already on the ground when the officer fired the fatal shot.
Mway’s cousin told reporters that his family escaped a violent civil war in Myanmar to find peace and safety in America. They hoped to find decent jobs and education.
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