JUSTICE

FOR

NYAH

WHAT HAPPENED

Around 10 p.m. on Friday, June 28th, 2024, the Utica Police Department murdered 13-year-old Nyah Mway

Having just graduated the 8th grade, Nyah and his friend were returning home from an 8th grade graduation barbeque. As young boys barely on the cusp of teenagehood, he and his friend were biking home that summer Friday night, soaking in the evening before police officers Patrick Husnay, Bryce Patterson, and Andrew Citriniti stopped them. The boy’s violation, according to the Utica Police Department, was allegedly walking on the street.

When the officers asked to pat Nyah down, he did what many young boys who are fearful of the police do: he fled. After a brief chase, Officer Patterson tackled him down, punched him several times, and was actively restraining him before Officer Husnay drew his weapon and executed Nyah with a point-blank shot to the chest. At a mere 13-years-old, Nyah’s life ended before it really even began. 

Nyah’s family is distraught. Having fled state-persecution as ethnic minorities in war-torn Myanmar, the Mway family came to the United States as refugees seeking a better life -- only to see their young boy killed by state authorities here. 

Nyah’s family, the Karen community, and the broader Utica community are now calling for justice and accountability. 

OUR QUESTIONS:

Shortly after the night of Nyah’s murder, the Utica Police Department told the Mway family that Nyah died as a result of a shoot-out. Bystander footage that circulated online immediately revealed that story to be a lie.

  • Nyah was actively being assaulted and restrained by Officer Peterson, who later explained that, at some point during the ground struggle, the alleged weapon was on the ground next to Nyah, no longer in Nyah’s possession. Seconds after the shooting, as body cam footage reveals, Officer Peterson can be heard asking, “What the f*** did he  [Officer Husnay] shoot [for]?” 

  • The Utica Police Department claimed that an ongoing criminal investigation based on an alleged robbery the night before Nyah’s murder gave the description that served as a pretext for stopping Nyah and his friend.

  • The Utica Police Department announced that all involved officers are being placed on “paid administrative leave” while they investigate the incident.

Why are our tax dollars being used to effectively place the three complicit officers on paid vacation after murdering a 13-year-old? 

“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.’"

Casey Pritchard • USA Today

WE DEMAND

JUSTICE FOR NYAH

Publicly express condolences to Nyah's family and the community at large in writing to acknowledge the loss and the pain felt across Utica.

Cover the funeral and burial costs for Nyah Mway and provide support for the mental health needs of his family.

Commit to transparency by offering a clear, weekly timeline of the investigation in multiple languages (English, Burmese, and Karen). Ensure updates are accessible both in written and verbal formats, and appoint an independent investigator.

Establish a Police Accountability Board with real power—modeled after Rochester’s Police Accountability Board—to investigate misconduct, create policies, and hold officers accountable with disciplinary measures. The Board should represent the diversity of Utica and have the authority to subpoena officers and change UPD policies where necessary.

Redirect funding from the Utica Police Department towards programs that reduce violence without police intervention, such as community-based violence interruption programs, specifically working alongside NYS SNUG Outreach (SNUG). This approach has proven effective in other cities and is sorely needed in ours.

End the partnership between the Utica School District and UPD by removing school resource officers (SROs) from our schools. Our schools should be places where children feel safe, not where they are watched and criminalized by law enforcement.

Require UPD to collect and report data on all stops made by officers. This should include who is stopped, where, and why. The community deserves to know how our police operate, and this basic level of transparency should be common sense.

Restrict the use of firearm force during foot chases and patrols. No more children should lose their lives simply for running home. The national increase in gun violence demands that we reexamine how UPD officers respond, especially when youth are involved.

Terminate Officer Patrick Husnay immediately, regardless of the investigation’s findings. His reckless and violent actions have shown that he is not fit to serve and is a danger to our community.

TAKE ACTION

TAKE ACTION