Incident Involving NYPD and Mentally Ill Man Sparks Controversy

Recently released body camera footage provides a tense look at the moment an NYPD officer shot and injured a 22-year-old man, Jabez Chakraborty, who was reportedly mentally ill and advanced on officers with a knife in a Queens home last week.

The shooting, which occurred on January 26, prompted a strong reaction from Chakraborty’s family and reignited discussions led by Mayor Zoran Mamdani regarding the establishment of a community safety agency aimed at addressing mental health crises.

The video starts with a 911 call from a female family member requesting Chakraborty’s “involuntary removal,” noting that he was throwing glass against the wall.

Initially, the family had only called for medical help, not law enforcement, pointing out that the previous incident led them to conclude an ambulance was more appropriate than police intervention, as noted by the caller.

The operator informed them that such situations typically involve both the police and the city’s emergency services.

As the footage unfolds, it shows two officers arriving at a residence on Parsons Boulevard. They knock at the door and step back cautiously.

One officer, Tyree White, mentioned that he avoids standing by doors ever since witnessing incidents like this—and another officer agreed, reflecting the unpredictability of such situations.

When a family member opened the door, an officer entered the living room only for Chakraborty to quickly grab a knife from the kitchen and approach White. A female relative attempted to intervene, using her arms to block him, but he continued to advance.

White shouted repeatedly for Chakraborty to drop the knife as the tension escalated. The video captured the moment when White closed the door to create a barrier, but Chakraborty pushed past it, knife still in hand.

With family members pleading, White ultimately fired, hitting Chakraborty four times. He was subsequently taken to the University of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was reported stable.

Patrick Hendry, chair of the Police Benevolent Association, stated that the officers acted professionally under challenging circumstances, emphasizing the rapid escalation they faced.

However, the family criticized the police’s approach, asserting that officers unnecessarily increased the tension by drawing their weapons and shouting commands.

They expressed their belief that the situation worsened shortly after the police’s arrival when Chakraborty, who was reportedly calm moments before, was shot multiple times. They called for the Queens Prosecutor’s Office to drop any charges against him.

The family urged the mayor to establish a system for non-police responders in similar situations to avoid further trauma for families.

In response, an NYPD spokesperson clarified that because the call involved an involuntary removal, police presence was required, as EMS cannot carry out such removals on their own.

Mamdani, addressing reporters, suggested that Chakraborty should not face charges, indicating the need for mental health treatment rather than prosecution. He underscored the necessity for a distinct mental health response system to prevent such incidents from continuing, proposing the creation of a community safety office dedicated to this issue.