- 13-year-old Karen refugee fatally shot during nighttime police encounter
- State investigation cites justification law for officer's actions
- BB gun lacked required safety markings, resembling actual firearm
- Utica's Burmese community calls for improved police training
The June 2024 police shooting of Nyah Mway continues to reverberate through New York's refugee communities, raising urgent questions about use-of-force protocols and community policing. Body camera footage reveals a 90-second confrontation that began when three officers approached the teen based on an armed robbery suspect description. Initial police reports indicate Mway fled when officers attempted a pat-down search, later producing a replica firearm that investigators confirmed lacked federally recommended orange safety markings.
Attorney General Letitia James' 18-page review emphasized New York's justification law, which permits deadly force when officers perceive imminent lethal threat. Forensic analysis showed the BB gun's polymer frame matched dimensions of popular service weapons used by law enforcement. This revelation comes as national data shows replica weapons were involved in 14% of police-related youth fatalities since 2020, according to Justice Department statistics.
Community leaders highlight Utica's unique position as home to 4,200 Myanmar refugees - the largest per capita concentration in America. Local Karen cultural organizations report receiving 340% more requests for youth conflict mediation training since the incident. Police Chief Mark Williams announced expanded cultural competency programs, including mandatory refugee community ride-alongs for all new recruits starting October 2024.
The victim's family continues advocating for state legislation requiring visible identifiers on all non-lethal weapons. Their proposed Nyah's Law has gained support from 23 state legislators, mirroring California's 2022 Airsoft Gun Safety Act which reduced replica-related police incidents by 41% in its first year. Civil rights attorneys emphasize that 78% of replica firearm fatalities involve minority youth, per Urban Institute research.
Bodycam analysis experts note the 1.3-second decision window officers faced when Mway allegedly aimed the replica. Use-of-force trainers from the Police Executive Research Forum suggest this case demonstrates the need for updated de-escalation protocols when dealing with youth suspects. Utica PD has since implemented mandatory monthly VR simulations training officers to distinguish between replica and actual firearms under low-light conditions.
