Boy, 13, dies after being shot by police in New York state

Published

12 months ago

June 30, 2024

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A 13-year-old boy carrying a “realistic appearing” replica firearm has died after being shot by police in New York state, US authorities have said.

The shooting happened after two youths were stopped by officers investigating robberies in Utica, about 240 miles northwest of Manhattan, on Friday evening.

They were approached because they “matched the robbery suspects’ descriptions”, police said.

One of them ran before pointing what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, Utica police chief Mark Williams told reporters.

Video on social media shows the boy being chased by an officer who wrestles him to the ground.

Two more officers catch up with them, after which a gunshot can be heard.

“Oh my god, he just shot him,” a bystander says.

The boy was hit in the chest after one of the officers fired a single shot at him, Mr Williams said.

The teenager – named in local reports as Nyah Mway, a refugee from Myanmar – was given first aid at the scene but later died in hospital.

Officers recovered a replica of a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine, Mr Williams said.

The dummy had “Glock markings, signatures, a detachable magazine and serial numbers”, police spokesperson Lieutenant Michael Curley said.

It was “in all aspects a realistic-appearing firearm”, he added.

“However, ultimately, it fires only pellets or BBs,” Mr Curley said.

Utica Police Department said its “heartfelt thoughts and prayers” were with Nyah Mway’s family.

“We will continue to be as transparent and accessible to the family and community as legally allowed as this process continues,” the department said on Facebook.

It identified the officers involved as Patrick Husnay, Bryce Patterson and Andrew Citriniti, who have been placed on administrative leave with pay.

“Officer Husnay is the officer that fired his duty weapon, striking the juvenile,” the department said.

“As will be illustrated” in body-worn camera (BWC) footage, “when the officers asked and went to pat frisk Nyah Mway he immediately fled on foot”, it added.

“While fleeing he produced a replica Glock pellet gun from the front of his body, and during the 51 and 53-second mark on officer Patterson’s BWC, points the weapon directly at Officer Patterson and the other officers,” the department said.

During a meeting at Utica’s city hall on Saturday, its mayor Michael Galime said he understood the “weight of this situation”.

He added: “Everything will be released, and everyone in this room and the entire community will have access to all of that information.”

While some people shouted down officials’ remarks, others called for silence so that members of the boy’s community could hear an interpreter’s translations.

Mr Galime said the city would be transparent in its investigation and that he and other officials would meet privately with the teen’s family and other community members.

US

US-UK trade deal ‘done’, says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

Published

4 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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US-UK trade deal 'done', says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

The UK-US trade deal has been signed and is “done”, US President Donald Trump has said as he met Sir Keir Starmer at the G7 summit.

The US president told reporters: “We signed it, and it’s done. It’s a fair deal for both. It’ll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”

As Mr Trump and his British counterpart exited a mountain lodge in the Canadian Rockies where the summit is being held, the US president held up a physical copy of the trade agreement to show reporters.

Several leaves of paper fell from the binding, and Mr Starmer quickly bent down to pick them up, saying: “A very important document.”

Sir Keir said the document “implements” the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, adding: “So this is a very good day for both of our countries – a real sign of strength.”

Mr Trump added that the UK was “very well protected” against any future tariffs, saying: “You know why? Because I like them”.

However, he did not say whether levies on British steel exports to the US would be set to 0%, saying “we’re gonna let you have that information in a little while”.

What exactly does trade deal being ‘done’ mean?

The government says the US “has committed” to removing tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on UK aerospace goods, such as engines and aircraft parts, which currently stand at 10%.

That is “expected to come into force by the end of the month”.

Tariffs on car imports will drop from 27.5% to 10%, the government says, which “saves car manufacturers hundreds of millions a year, and protects tens of thousands of jobs”.

The White House says there will be a quota of 100,000 cars eligible for import at that level each year.

But on steel, the story is a little more complicated.

The UK is the only country exempted from the global 50% tariff rate on steel – which means the UK rate remains at the original level of 25%.

That tariff was expected to be lifted entirely, but the government now says it will “continue to go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”.

The White House says the US will “promptly construct a quota at most-favoured-nation rates for steel and aluminium articles”.

Other key parts of the deal include import and export quotas for beef – and the government is keen to emphasise that “any US imports will need to meet UK food safety standards”.

There is no change to tariffs on pharmaceuticals for the moment, and the government says “work will continue to protect industry from any further tariffs imposed”.

The White House says they “committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes”.

Mr Trump also praised Sir Keir as a “great” prime minister, adding: “We’ve been talking about this deal for six years, and he’s done what they haven’t been able to do.”

He added: “We’re very longtime partners and allies and friends and we’ve become friends in a short period of time.

“He’s slightly more liberal than me to put it mildly… but we get along.”

Sir Keir added that “we make it work”.

The US president appeared to mistakenly refer to a “trade agreement with the European Union” at one point as he stood alongside the British prime minister.

Mr Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on countries in April. At the time, he announced 10% “reciprocal” rates on all UK exports – as well as separately announced 25% levies on cars and steel.

In a joint televised phone call in May, Sir Keir and Mr Trump announced the UK and US had agreed on a trade deal – but added the details were being finalised.

Ahead of the G7 summit, the prime minister said he would meet Mr Trump for “one-on-one” talks, and added the agreement “really matters for the vital sectors that are safeguarded under our deal, and we’ve got to implement that”.

US

Doctor to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before Friends star suffered fatal overdose

Published

4 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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Doctor to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before Friends star suffered fatal overdose

A Los Angeles doctor has agreed to plead guilty to giving Friends actor Matthew Perry ketamine in the lead up to his death from a fatal overdose, prosecutors have said.

Dr Salvador Plasencia, who will admit to four counts of distribution of ketamine, faces up to a maximum of 40 years in prison.

He is among five people charged in connection with the death of Friends star Perry, 54, whose body was found in his hot tub by his assistant in October 2023.

The medical examiner ruled that ketamine and other factors caused him to lose consciousness and drown.

The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal treatment for depression, but had begun seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.

Plasencia is accused of supplying the bulk of Perry’s ketamine in his final weeks. He and three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation.

Jasmine Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major ketamine dealer, is alleged to have provided the dose that killed the actor and is the only defendant who has pleaded not guilty to the prosecution’s case.

About a month before the actor’s death, Perry found Plasencia, a doctor who allegedly asked another doctor, Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to court filings in the Chavez case.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings from prosecutors.

The pair who practised in California met up the same day and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500 (£3,314), Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry’s “go-to” prosecutors said.

Chavez has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing.

He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

US

Suspect in killing of US politician went to homes of other lawmakers in same night, officials say

Published

16 hours ago

June 16, 2025

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Suspect in killing of US politician went to homes of other lawmakers in same night, officials say

A man accused of killing a US politician and her husband went to the homes of other lawmakers that night, intending to kill them, officials said.

Vance Boelter, 57, meticulously planned his attacks, carrying out surveillance missions, taking notes on the properties and people he targeted and disguising himself as a police officer, according to Minnesota’s acting US attorney Joseph Thompson.

Authorities believe Boelter wore a mask as he posed as a police officer and shone a torch in the face of some of his victims to disguise his identity.

“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmare,” said Mr Thompson.

Boelter, 57, allegedly shot and wounded Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their Minneapolis home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

He then travelled to the home of another state lawmaker but she and her family were on holiday, so they didn’t answer the door, said Mr Thompson.

Video showed that Boelter rang the doorbell at around 2.24am on Friday but left when the family didn’t respond.

He then drove to the home of an unnamed state senator, but after the Hoffmans’ adult daughter called emergency services to say her parents had been shot, a police officer was dispatched to conduct a wellness check.

That officer saw Boelter’s car parked up the street but thought he was another officer, said Mr Thompson.

Boelter had reportedly altered his car to make it look more like a police car.

He then left and drove to the home of lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, according to an FBI affidavit.

Local police officers, also conducting a check, arrived to see Boelter fatally shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, according to the document.

Melissa Hortman was found dead inside.

Boelter was arrested on Sunday evening after a huge manhunt in a rural area in Sibley County, southwest of Minneapolis.

He faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in the deaths of the Hortmans and the wounding of Mr Hoffman and his wife.

Before his arrest, the father of five texted his family group chat saying: “Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody,” according to the affidavit.

His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation… there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around,” the document said.

Several AK-style firearms and a list of about 70 names, which included politicians and abortion rights activists, were allegedly found inside his vehicle.

A Minnesota official said politicians who had been outspoken in favour of abortion rights were on the list.