Mental Health Treatment Advocated Following Police Shooting in NYC

New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is urging for increased mental health treatment options, instead of pursuing criminal charges, for a man with schizophrenia involved in a recent police incident. The situation escalated, leading officers to ultimately shoot and kill him.

Body camera footage from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) regarding the January 26 event in Queens was released. The man fatally shot was identified as 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty. Authorities stated that he was armed with a knife and had charged at an officer responding to a family emergency call.

When police arrived, the family allowed them inside, explaining that Chakraborty was experiencing a mental health crisis. The footage showed him in the kitchen, where he picked up a knife and approached the officers despite family members pleading for him to stop.

Officers repeatedly called for him to drop the weapon, and there was a brief moment where they managed to close a door between themselves and Chakraborty. Eventually, he forced the door open, resulting in officers firing four shots at him.

Chakraborty was taken to the hospital in serious, but stable, condition. Following the incident, Mayor Mamdani expressed on social media that, “Jabez has lived with schizophrenia for many years,” and suggested the establishment of a community safety office designed to improve mental health care and crisis response, rather than relying on police intervention.

Mamdani noted that the ongoing investigation by the NYPD would release body camera footage soon. He emphasized that Chakraborty requires mental health support rather than legal prosecution.

It’s worth mentioning that Mamdani has previously advocated for significant changes within the NYPD, including calls for disbandment and a shift in police funding.

Moreover, the Chakraborty family stated that they had called for an ambulance, not police intervention. They expressed distress, saying, “We did not call the police. Instead of medical personnel, the NYPD arrived and shot our son multiple times in front of us.” However, police clarified that the family had requested involuntary removal, which necessitated police and emergency service response.

In response to the video footage, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Hendry highlighted the complex and hazardous nature of the situation faced by the officers, noting that they acted with professionalism and restraint given the circumstances.