UTICA, N.Y. – The screams of a grieving mother could be heard through a city hall at a press conference in upstate New York Saturday morning, as officials detailed the shooting death of a 13-year-old member of the Karen community by an officer on Friday night.
What started as rumblings turned into screams from all sides as Utica Mayor Michael Galime, through the help of an interpreter, spoke to the mother and family of Nyah Mway, 13, who is from the Karen community which originates in Myanmar.
Utica, a Rust Belt city in New York's Mohawk Valley, has become home toa burgeoning refugee population from around the world, including thousands of Karen people, an ethnic minority displaced from Myanmar amid military juntas and civil war in the Southeast Asian country.
Saturday's press conference was originally meant for reporters but was opened to the general public due to the sheer number of people, according to the mayor.
"We called this press conference not to just explain and be completely transparent, but to offer our condolences to the family and the community for their loss," Galime said. "Yesterday evening, while a stop like the one that occurred is routine, it became tragic in near moments. We understand and we're here to be completely transparent and explain everything about the incident to the community and the process moving forward."
Timeline of events
Police Chief Mark Williams then attempted to provide a timeline of events.
Williams said Utica police officers were conducting a pedestrian stop of two juveniles around 10:18 p.m. on Friday on a tree-lined residential street.
One of the juveniles, a young man, fled from police. Williams said that during the chase that ensued, the young man displayed "what appeared to be a handgun."
During the press conference, the moment these words were uttered by the police chief, some of the people in attendance – more than 100 packed into city hall – started screaming. Anger rose from the crowd with shouts of "No!" and attempts by some to calm the crowd down.
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Continuing, Williams said the officer discharged his firearm once and struck the teen "during a ground struggle." The 13-year-old was taken to Wynn Hospital where he died from his wounds.
"Officers then recovered a replica Glock 17 handgun with a detachable magazine, but it was ultimately determined to be a pellet gun," Williams said. "We will be releasing the names of the officers involved in the very near future. We ask for patience as this investigation continues."
Yells of indignation came from the crowd after they learned the three officers involved in the incident had been placed on paid administrative during the investigation. One person commented aloud that the police were getting "...a paid vacation."
Galime told the crowd he was dedicated to being as transparent as possible and that directly after the press conference, he would invite the family and representatives of the community to speak with city officials.
Family present
After this was translated, the mother of the 13-year-old began yelling and screaming. A member of the community translated: "She said she doesn't want to be in the same room as killers."
The mother's wails could be heard for a moment before the whole crowd drowned out the government officials.
Walking towards the crowd, Galime stood before the mother and spoke with her for a brief time as the whole crowd yelled for justice.
The public press conference was closed early and relocated to a private room upstairs in city hall, where officials answered questions about the next steps.
State attorney investigation
In officer-involved shootings, New York State Executive Law 70b mandates that the New York State Attorney General Office of Special Investigations take the lead criminal investigatory role.
The Utica Police Department is conducting a joint parallel internal investigation with its Professional Standards Unit to determine whether staff followed policies, procedures and training guidelines.
Over the next several days, police said they would publicly release more details about the incident and a comprehensive overview of the events. Police also plan to release the full body cam footage from the officers involved.
Further questions
After the public press conference, the mayor, police chief and department spokesperson Lt. Michael Curley held a private press conference for the media.
"Our police department deals with investigations day in and day out and they don't end like this," Galime said. "They do not end like this. This situation unfolded due to the events very specific to this situation. And that is why we have to only speak to what we can release and when it's released... And we're not going to offer information we're not absolutely sure of."
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As it stands, Williams said the two juveniles were stopped as part of an ongoing investigation but declined to answer questions about the subject of the investigation until it was concluded.
When asked about lethal force being used, Williams explained that at the time, there was no way to know that the gun in question was a pellet gun until the officers got their hands on it.
"You don't bring a Taser to a gunfight. When you, at the time, perceive deadly physical force, you have to match it," Williams said.
Social media video
The police department said it is aware of a video of the incident that is circulating on social media platforms.
Authorities said the video does not portray the incident in its entirety.
Galime said updates will be released as they become available. Investigations like this can take a long time, according to Williams, and there might likely be several months before the attorney general's office has conclusions.
Until then, Galime made it clear where the city stands.
"This office and our police department will operate with utmost efficiency and transparency," Galime said. "Following the closure of the press conference, myself and the translator had a conversation with the mother and her surrounding friends and family. She is not just distraught, she is grieving in the way that was (shown) downstairs. And it's not only acceptable, it's expected."
"What we need to do from this side is make sure that... moving forward, we'll continue to be as objective as possible and every single incident that involves an investigation is met with objectivity and the letter of the law."
Eduardo Cuevas of USA TODAY contributed to this story.
