A teenaged boy is dead after a police-involved shooting in which officers claim the youth pointed a replica firearm at them.
The incident unfolded on the night of June 28 in Utica, New York.
According to the Utica Observer-Dispatch, officers from the Utica Police Department encountered 13-year-old Nyah Mway and another juvenile at 10:18 p.m.
Mway was walking near the unidentified juvenile, who was riding a bicycle in the street.
Police stopped the teens, who they say matched the description of suspects in recent local robberies, using Mway’s presence on the road as a pretense.
Mway initially had his hands up as police approached but turned and fled before officers could pat him down for weapons.
As police gave chase, they say Mway turned and brandished what appeared to be a firearm towards the officers.
Officers called out the apparent gun as the teen was tackled and taken to the ground. During the scuffle a single shot was fired, striking Mway. He died of his wounds after being transported to a local hospital.
The weapon was discovered to be an accurate BB gun replica of a Glock 17, a real handgun.
Was this a justified shooting?
The three officers involved were placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted.
WARNING: The following links contain images that may be disturbing for some readers.
The UPD uploaded much of the officers’ body camera footage in multiple videos on its YouTube channel.
Images released by the department show the convincing replica pistol. It has no orange markings or other indicators that it is a pellet gun instead of a real firearm.
While the police department is conducting its own investigation, a higher state office will also be probing the matter.
According to the Associated Press, the office of State Attorney General Letitia James will be reviewing the shooting to decide whether it was a justified use of force.
The family of Mway, who are immigrants from Myanmar that brought him to the United States, called the killing a murder.
Authorities have not yet provided a time frame for the ongoing investigations.
