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The New York City Police Department has released body camera footage showing the moment an officer shot a mentally ill man who was allegedly charging him with a knife amid calls from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani for psychiatric treatment instead of criminal charges.
Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was carrying a large kitchen knife and charged police who responded to an emergency call from his family in Queens on Jan. 26, according to the NYPD.
The video, released by the NYPD on Tuesday, shows an officer entering the living room of the home, where Chakraborty allegedly brandished a knife. Officers could be heard trying to defuse the situation, repeatedly ordering him to “put the knife down,” but Chakraborty continued to approach the officer, according to the NYPD.
The woman is seen in the footage trying to stop Chakraborty with her arm, but he continued to advance with a knife. The photo shows an NYPD officer repositioning himself on the porch of the house and closing the door between it and the living room.
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Newly released NYPD body camera footage shows an officer shooting a man who was allegedly wielding a knife during an emergency response to a Queens home. (NYPD)
According to the NYPD, Chakraborty then pushed open the door and approached the officer with a knife.
The policeman pulled out his weapon and hit Chakraborty four times. He was taken to hospital, where he is listed in fair but critical condition.
The clip released by the NYPD begins with audio of a 911 call from a “casual witness” reporting that Chakraborty had a psychotic episode and threw a glass at a wall. The caller asked for EMS, not police, for an ambulance so Chakraborty could be taken to the hospital automatically.
The incident is being investigated by the Queens District Attorney’s office, and preliminary reports indicate that prosecutors are looking into possible charges of attempted murder.
Mamdani, however, at a press conference on Tuesday said Chakraborty should undergo psychiatric treatment and face criminal charges.
“When I look at this photo, it’s clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution by the district attorney, we’re talking about a family that endures the kind of pain that a family and someone who has lived with schizophrenia for many years can handle,” said the Mayor.
“A person experiencing a mental health episode does not always need to be referred to the police first or only. It is important for us to have all options available,” he added.
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Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was said to be carrying a large kitchen knife and attacked the police who responded to the family’s emergency call. (NYPD)
Mamdani said he met Chakraborty’s family who criticized him for the way he initially responded by shooting. The mayor said that hours after the shooting, police “came across a person with a knife,” and “we are very grateful to the first responders who put themselves on the phone every day to keep our communities safe.”
Chakraborty’s family released a statement Wednesday accusing law enforcement of causing the situation to “escalate quickly and unnecessarily.”
“Instead of de-escalating the situation, the officer escalated by pulling out his gun and yelling at Jabez,” the family wrote. “Within a minute of the NYPD’s arrival, Jabez was shot multiple times and nearly killed, while he was peacefully eating a few minutes earlier.”
The family asked the Queens DA’s office to “drop the charges against our son,” and the NYPD released more body cameras in the incident.
The family argued that the police should not respond to calls for medical assistance.
The NYPD has released body camera video showing the moments leading up to the police shooting while responding to a mental health crisis. (NYPD)
“Because of our knowledge, and that of many other families, we are asking the Mayor to give us plans where we can call non-police responders,” the family wrote. “We ask that there be a change where the needs of families after such incidents are more focused than they continue to be traumatized over and over again.”
The President of the Police Benevolent Association, Patrick Hendry, said in a statement sent by Fox News Digital that the body camera footage “makes it clear that these officers entered an unexpected, fast and dangerous situation.”
“There was no time or place for them to reverse the situation before they were forced to do something,” he added. “They did their job with great care and restraint under very difficult conditions.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the NYPD for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
