13-Year-Old Shot Dead By Police Officer In New York Amid Robbery Probe, Caught On Cam

New York: A police officer allegedly shot dead a 13-year-old boy after he ran from police during an armed robbery investigation in New York, United States, according to a video released on Saturday. The incident occured in Utica on Friday night when a teen was allegedly shot by a cop during an encounter around 10 pm. It is reported that the officers stopped two 13-year-olds who matched the descriptions of the robbery suspects and were in the vicinity at the same time as the reported crime.

One of the teens, identified as Nyah Mway, was walking in the road, a violation of state traffic law. Body camera footage released by the police captured an officer informing the youths that they needed to be patted down to ensure they had no weapons. Immediately, Nyah Mway fled from the scene. This led to a massive outrage, with people conducting a candlelight vigil. An attendee from a candle vigil expressed his outrage, saying, “They killed a f***ing baby.”

In the body camera footage, Nyah Mway is purportedly seen running and appearing to point a gun at the pursuing officers. The police edited the video to highlight the weapon with a red circle. While the officers believed it to be a real handgun, it was later determined to be a replica of a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine.

“During a ground struggle with the teen, one of the officers fired a single shot that struck the boy in the chest,” said Utica Police Chief Mark Williams. The officers administered immediate first aid, and Nyah Mway was transported to Wynn Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police spokesperson Lt. Michael Curley clarified via email, “The replica gun the teen carried is in all aspects a realistic appearing firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazine, and serial numbers. However, ultimately it fires only pellets or BB’s.”

A bystander’s video posted on Facebook shows an officer chasing Nyah Mway, tackling him to the ground, and punching him as two other officers arrived. As they wrestled, a gunshot was fired, striking Nyah Mway in the chest. The officer who discharged his weapon was identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the police force.

Following the incident, Husnay, along with Officers Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, were placed on administrative leave with pay. The body camera footage revealed a chaotic scene, with Nyah Mway pointing the replica handgun at the officers while fleeing. The officers can be heard yelling “gun!” to each other as they pursued him. Patterson tackled and punched Nyah Mway, and during the struggle, Husnay fired the fatal shot.

Initially, officers thought Nyah Mway might have shot himself. Patterson was heard saying, “I don’t know if he shot me,” although he was not struck. Bystanders can be heard shouting at the police throughout the recordings, with an officer responding at one point, “We’re trying to save him right now!” The other youth was detained in a police vehicle and was not involved in the shooting.

In his public safety statement, a brief interview conducted after police shootings to assess any ongoing threats, Husnay stated that he fired one round “straight towards the ground.” He was unsure if Nyah Mway had fired at the officers but believed the weapon to be a .22-caliber handgun. The police department released the body camera footage following public outcry, as the shooting has caused significant unrest in Utica, a city with a population of 65,000.