The video shows a New York City officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy. Police say he pointed a replica gun

NEW YORK (AP) — Video released Saturday night shows an upstate New York officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy who had been knocked to the ground after running from police and pointing a handgun at them.

The teenager was killed Friday night in Utica, after officers in the city about 240 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Manhattan stopped two youths shortly after 10:00 p.m. in connection with an armed robbery investigation, Utica said. the police.

The youths, both 13, matched the robbers’ descriptions and were in the same area the next day, police said. One was also walking on the road, a state traffic law violation.

Body camera video released by police captures an officer saying he had to pat them down to make sure they didn’t have any weapons in their possession. Immediately one of the two – identified by the police as Nyah Mway – runs away.

Authorities have frozen footage of the video in which the running Nyah Mway appears to point the gun at the pursuing officers. Police also edited the video to put a red circle around the gun to show viewers.

Officers thought it was a handgun, but it was later determined to be a replica Glock 17 Gen 5 pistol with a detachable magazine.

“During a ground struggle” with the teenager, one of the officers fired a single shot that struck the boy in the chest, Williams said.

The teenager was given first aid “immediately” by officers and taken to Wynn Hospital, where he died, the chief said.

The replica gun carried by the teenager “is in all respects a realistic firearm with GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazines and serial numbers,” police spokesman Lt. Michael Curley said by email. “Ultimately, though, it only shoots pellets or BBs.”

A video posted on Facebook shows one of the officers chasing Nyah Mway and tackling him to the ground. It also shows the officer punching the teenager as two other officers arrive. A gunshot rings out as the teenager is on the ground, and the officers quickly get up.

The officer who fired the gun was identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the agency. Husnay and officers Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti have been placed on administrative leave with pay.

The police department released the body camera video following a public outcry as the shooting rocked Utica, a city of more than 65,000 about 250 miles northwest of Manhattan. It is home to more than 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit that helps resettle refugees.

Nyah Mway, who local media said was an eighth-grader at Donovan Middle School, was identified as a refugee born in Myanmar and a member of the Karen ethnic minority.

The Karen are an ethnic minority who are among the groups at war with the military rulers of the Southeast Asian country formerly known as Burma. The military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests seeking a return to democratic rule.

During a tense news conference Saturday, Williams did not say what led police to stop the two youths or what the investigation was about. The press conference ended early as Williams, the city’s mayor and an interpreter struggled to speak due to repeated outbursts from the audience. Community members were present, including the young man’s family.

The police department is conducting its own internal investigation to see if the officers followed policies and training. The state attorney general will open his own case to determine whether the shooting was justified.

“I want to offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved family during this difficult time,” Williams said. “This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved.”

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Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.

Philip Marcelo and Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press