The New York City Police Department has dropped a critical piece of evidence in a contentious case, releasing body camera footage of a Queens officer shooting a 22-year-old man during a tense confrontation.
Fox News reported that on January 26, NYPD officers responded to an emergency call from the family of Jabez Chakraborty in Queens, following a 911 report of a mental health episode.
The footage, made public on Tuesday, captures officers entering the home and encountering Chakraborty allegedly holding a large kitchen knife. After attempts to de-escalate failed, an officer fired his weapon, striking Chakraborty four times, leaving him in stable but critical condition in intensive care.
The issue has ignited fierce debate over whether Chakraborty, described as mentally ill, should face criminal charges or receive treatment instead.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly pushed for mental health support over prosecution, while the Queens District Attorney’s Office investigates, with early indications pointing toward a possible indictment for attempted murder.
Let’s cut through the noise: this incident lays bare the messy intersection of law enforcement and mental health crises. The bodycam shows officers stepping into a volatile situation, with Chakraborty brandishing a knife and ignoring repeated commands to drop it.
Despite efforts to calm things down, including an officer retreating to a vestibule, the NYPD says Chakraborty forced his way forward, leaving the officer no choice but to shoot.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry didn’t mince words in his statement to Fox News Digital. “There was no time or space for them to de-escalate the situation before they were forced to act,” Hendry said. His take rings true for many who see officers thrust into impossible, split-second decisions with lives on the line.
Yet, the family’s version paints a starkly different picture, accusing the NYPD of botching the response. They claim Chakraborty was calmly eating just minutes before being shot within a minute of police arrival. Their statement reeks of the usual anti-police rhetoric, ignoring the knife in his hand and the danger it posed.
The family’s demands are predictable—drop any prosecution and keep police out of medical calls. They’re calling for more bodycam footage, as if that will magically rewrite the story of a man charging at armed officers. It’s a classic move to shift blame from individual actions to systemic failure.
Mayor Mamdani is fanning these flames, siding with the family during a Tuesday news conference. “In viewing this footage, it is clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution from a district attorney,” he declared. His soft-on-crime stance is exactly the kind of policy that leaves officers hamstrung and communities at risk.
Let’s be real: Mamdani’s initial response hours after the shooting was more measured, thanking first responders for their daily sacrifices.
But after meeting with the family, he pivoted to this treatment-over-justice narrative. It’s a transparent play for political points in a city already skeptical of law enforcement’s role.
Here’s the rub—officers were called by the family, who requested involuntary removal, a process that by law involves both police and EMS. The 911 caller specifically asked for an ambulance, not cops, but policy dictates a dual response for safety. Blaming the NYPD for showing up ignores the reality of their mandate.
Look at the footage: a woman tries to block Chakraborty, but he keeps advancing with the knife. The officer repositions, even closes a door to create distance, but Chakraborty pushes through. This isn’t a failure of de-escalation; it’s a failure of a system that expects cops to be social workers with badges.
Hendry’s defense of the officers hits the nail on the head—unpredictable, fast-moving, dangerous. Cops aren’t mind readers; they can’t predict how a mental health episode will unfold when a weapon is involved. Expecting them to stand down while being charged at is a fantasy peddled by those who’ve never faced such a threat.
Now, the Queens DA’s office holds the cards, weighing whether to pursue an attempted murder charge. Given the footage, it’s hard to see how Chakraborty’s actions don’t warrant serious scrutiny, mental health or not. Justice doesn’t bend just because a situation is tragic—it must account for the safety of those protecting us.
