UTICA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A 13-year-old who pointed a pellet gun at police officers chasing after him was shot and killed by one of the officers late Friday night in Utica, New York, local police said Saturday morning.
In a chaotic press conference, disrupted by members of the public shouting at police, Utica Police Chief Mark Williams says he wasn’t ready to say what initial incident caused officers to stop the 13-year-old and the other person he was with.
When officers attempted to stop the pair around 10:18 p.m. on Friday, the 13-year-old ran from police.
Police claim, during the chase, “what appeared to be a handgun was pointed at the officer.”
The chief said the weapon was determined to be a “replica GLOCK 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine.” The chief called it a pellet gun.
At that time, the officer fired once and hit the victim. The chief said emergency services were provided to him at the scene, but he died after being brought to the hospital.
The 13-year-old’s name has not been shared. The officers involved, who are on paid administrative leave per policy, have not been named publicly.
Per state regulation, the State Attorney General’s Office will lead an investigation into the justification of the officers’ actions. Utica Police says it’s conducting its own internal review.
The department commits to releasing footage from the officer’s uniform-worn camera in the days ahead.
“We are aware of a video of the incident circulating on social media platforms, which does not portray the incident in its entirety; we ask that the public obtains all of the information that will be made available when reviewing this tragic incident,” wrote the police spokesperson.
He added: “We again offer our condolences to the family of the deceased juvenile during this very difficult time, as well as the many lives that this has now permanently changed within our community.”
