The screams of a grieving mother could be heard through Utica City Hall at a press conference Saturday morning, detailing 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 the 13-year-old boy.
Saturday’s press conference was originally meant for members of the press, but was opened up 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
Turning the press conference over to the police chief, Williams attempted to provide a timeline of events.
According to Police Chief Mark Williams, Utica police officers were conducting a pedestrian stop of two juveniles around 10:18 p.m. on Friday, June 28 in the 900 block of Shaw Street.
One of the juveniles, a male, fled from police. Williams said that during the chase, the juvenile displayed “…what appeared to be a handgun.”
During the press conference, the moment these words were uttered by the police chief, those 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.
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 were heard by members of the crowd after learning that the three officers involved in the incident were placed on paid administrative leave during the course of the investigation, with one crowd member commenting how they’re getting “…a paid vacation.”
Galime said to the crowd that he was dedicated to being as transparent as possible and that directly after the press conference, they were asking the family and representatives of the community to speak with them.
Family present
After this was translated, the mother of the 13-year-old began yelling and screaming in her native language. A member of the community translated, saying “…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 representatives.
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 taken to a private room upstairs in city hall, where officials answered questions about the next step.
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 has the lead criminal investigatory role.
The Utica Police Department is conducting a joint parallel internal investigation with its Professional Standards Unit to determine if policies, procedures, and training were followed.
Additionally, UPD will work closely and openly with the City of Utica Public Safety Advisory Committee.
Over the next several days, police will publicly release multiple media formats. Police also plan to release a Critical Incident Brief, a comprehensive overview of the events.
Additionally, UPD will release the full Body Worn Camera content of the involved officers.
Further questions
After the public press conference, the mayor, police chief, and Public Information Officer 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.”
As it stands, Williams said that the two juveniles were stopped as part of an ongoing investigation but could not answer as to the subject of that investigation until it was concluded.
When asked about lethal force 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 TASR to a gunfight. When you, at the time, perceive deadly physical force, you have to match it,” Williams said. “This will be investigated through the attorney general’s office and it will be viewed through the landmark case of Graham v. Connor.”
Social media video
The police department said it is aware of a video of the incident circulating on social media platforms.
Authorities said it does not portray the incident in its entirety.
Utica police ask that the public obtains all of the information that will be made available when reviewing this incident.
Moving forward
Galime said updates will be released as they become available. T
ime frames for investigations like this can be long, according to Williams, and there might likely be several months before conclusions are heard from the attorney general’s office.
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.”
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