A video released late on Saturday revealed the tragic moment an officer in upstate New York fatally shot a 13-year-old boy after he had been tackled to the ground fleeing from police.
Body camera footage released by police captured the moment an officer told boys that he needs to pat them down to check for weapons when Nyah Mway, bolted away.
The incident unfolded shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday in Utica, a city about 240 miles northwest of Manhattan when had stopped two youths in connection with an armed robbery investigation, according to police reports.
A police conference about the incident was met with furious shouting from the community and the boy's family.
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Both boys, aged 13, matched the descriptions of the robbery suspects and were spotted in the same area the following day. Police also emphasised that one was walking in the road, which counts as a state traffic violation.
Authorities froze frames from the video showing a fleeing Nyah Mway appear to point the fake gun at the officers in pursuit. Police said believed the gun was real, but it was later determined to be a pellet gun.
"During a ground struggle" with the teen, one officer fired a single shot that hit the boy in the chest, Utica Police Chief Mark Williams revealed. Officers administered “immediate” first aid to the teen and rushed him to Wynn Hospital, but tragically, he did not survive.
Lt. Michael Curley, a police spokesperson, detailed in an email that the replica gun “is in all aspects a realistic appearing firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazine, and serial numbers,” but ultimately only fires pellets or BBs.
A bystander’s video posted to Facebook captured the intense chase, showing an officer tackling Nyah Mway to the ground and punching him as two other officers arrived. As the boy lay on the ground, a gunshot rings out, and the officers quickly stand up.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the force. Husnay, along with Officers Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
The police body camera footage depicted a chaotic and distressing scene. Nyah Mway is seen pointing the replica handgun at the officers as he runs, prompting the officers to scream “gun!” Patterson tackled and punched Nyah Mway, and during the struggle, Husnay fires his weapon.
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Initially, officers thought Nyah Mway might have shot himself. Patterson is heard saying, “I don’t know if he shot me,” though it was later confirmed he was not struck. Throughout the recordings, bystanders are heard screaming at the police, with one officer shouting back, “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 post-shooting to assess any additional threats, Husnay stated he fired one round “straight towards the ground.” He wasn’t sure if Nyah Mway had fired at the officers but believed the weapon was a .22-caliber handgun.
The release of the body camera videos followed a public outcry as the tragic shooting stirred up emotions in Utica, a city with a population of 65,000. Utica is home to over 4,200 people from Myanmar, many of whom are refugees.
Nyah Mway, identified as a refugee from Myanmar and a member of the Karen ethnic minority, was an 8th grader at Donovan Middle School, local media reported.
The Karen people are an ethnic minority involved in long-standing conflicts with Myanmar’s military rulers. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been embroiled in turmoil since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, leading to widespread protests and a brutal crackdown.
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