The NYPD released body-camera footage showing officers shooting 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty during a mental health crisis inside his family’s home in Briarwood, Queens. Chakraborty, who had schizophrenia, was shot after his family contacted emergency services seeking medical assistance. According to Gothamist, the response involved police officers rather than emergency medical personnel.
The footage shows Chakraborty moving toward the officers while holding a kitchen knife, as family members attempted to intervene and officers instructed him to drop the weapon. A police spokesperson told ABC7NY that Chakraborty pushed through a closed door and continued advancing toward the officers with the knife, after which the officers fired their weapons.
Following public reaction to the incident, Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the city’s approach to responding to mental health crises. ABC7NY reported that Mamdani said the situation raised questions about existing response protocols and reiterated support for using trained social workers in certain crisis situations. He also referenced plans to accelerate the establishment of a proposed Department of Community Safety.
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce expressed caution about responding to such incidents with only medical professionals. He told ABC7NY that situations can change rapidly, noting that individuals might pick up a weapon and pose a threat. Boyce emphasized the need for police presence in these cases, while adding that pairing officers with medical professionals could be an acceptable approach.
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