A boy shot and killed by a Utica police officer during a fight had a pellet gun, the chief says

Utica, N.Y. — The 13-year-old boy shot and killed Friday night by a Utica police officer was carrying a pellet gun and was shot “during a struggle on the ground,” Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said.

Police said the shooting happened around 10:18 p.m. when police stopped two juveniles walking in the 900 block of Shaw Street. They added that one of the youths, a 13-year-old, ran away from officers.

As he fled, the boy displayed what appeared to be a gun, the chief said Saturday at a news conference held at Utica City Hall with Mayor Michael P. Galime.

The officer shot the boy once “during a struggle on the ground,” the chief said. He was shot in the chest, he said.

The boy was taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica, but died there. Police, who described the victim as Asian, have not released his name at this time.

A replica of a Glock pistol with a removable magazine was found, he added.

He added that the three officers involved in the case were placed on paid leave. The officers worked in the Criminal Prevention Department. He added that officers in this unit must have at least five years of experience.

The second minor accompanying the boy was questioned by police and released, he added. Police would not say why they detained the two children, except that it was part of an investigation.

The press conference was chaotic as community members repeatedly interrupted, crowded the city hall lobby and shouted at the chief.

When Williams said the child had what appeared to be a gun, the screaming took over him and he had to start over. As the chief continued, he explained that it was later discovered that the gun was a replica.

While an interpreter translated the press conference into Burmese, the victim’s crying mother screamed in her native language.

The conference was originally supposed to be media-only, the mayor said. When they saw the large group of community members gathered, they allowed the public in in the interest of transparency, he said. More than 50 of the boy’s family members and community members gathered in the lobby during the news conference.

The boy’s family members showed up at the door and the mayor spoke to them. He told the boy’s mother that he was sorry for his death.

After the press conference, the mayor again turned to the boy’s mother and tried to explain that the body camera footage would be released and that the attorney general’s office would investigate any possible irregularities.

While the mayor was talking to the boy’s mother, a man in the background shouted that the officers should be charged with first-degree murder.

One person held a banner that read “our parents didn’t run away from the war so that their children would be shot by the police.”

Another person in the crowd shouted that community members had fled “from persecution by the Burmese army.”

Utica has a large Burmese refugee community.

The police chief said the police will release the full body-worn camera footage at a later date.

Police said they are aware of a video circulating of the incident. Police said in a press release that the video “does not depict the entire incident.”

In a video posted on Facebook around midnight by a Utica resident, a police officer can be seen chasing the boy down a dark street.

A woman watching or filming can be heard shouting: “Watch out, watch out, yo, watch out. You’re on camera.

The officer knocks the boy to the ground and punches him at least once as two other officers appear on the video. Two officers struggle with the boy on the ground and a third officer arrives.

Then a shot could be heard. It is unclear which officer fired the shot.

The woman can be heard screaming, “Oh my God, he just shot him.” You can hear other people screaming.

The scuffle between the police and the boy lasted five seconds before a shot was heard.

After the shooting, the footage shows officers performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the boy.

The officers who detained the two children belonged to the city’s crime prevention unit.

The shooting will be investigated by the state Attorney General’s Office, which reviews all deaths involving police officers, the chief said. It will also be investigated internally by the police department, he said.

“This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved,” the police chief said.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Contact her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee or [email protected].