The New York City Police Department released body camera footage showing the moment an officer shot a mentally ill man who was allegedly charging at him with a knife—just as Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for mental health treatment instead of criminal prosecution. Because in today’s politics, accountability is optional, but excuses are mandatory.
The suspect, Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was holding a large kitchen knife and charged at officers who responded to an emergency call from his family in Queens on Jan. 26, according to the NYPD. The footage, released Tuesday, shows an officer entering the living room where Chakraborty was allegedly brandishing the knife. Officers repeatedly ordered him to “put the knife down,” attempting to de-escalate the situation. Chakraborty kept moving toward the officer anyway—apparently unimpressed by verbal commands.
A woman in the footage tried to block Chakraborty with her arm, but he continued stepping forward with the knife. The officer repositioned himself in the home’s vestibule and closed the door between himself and the living room. According to the NYPD, Chakraborty then pushed through the door and advanced again with the knife. At that point, the officer fired, hitting him four times. Chakraborty was taken to the hospital and remains in intensive care in stable but critical condition.
The video begins with audio from a 911 call made by a “civilian witness” who said Chakraborty was having a mental health episode and had thrown a glass against the wall. The caller asked for EMS, not police, and requested an ambulance so Chakraborty could be taken involuntarily to the hospital.
The incident is under investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, with preliminary reports suggesting prosecutors may seek an indictment for attempted murder. Mayor Mamdani, however, said Tuesday that Chakraborty should receive mental health treatment instead of facing criminal charges.
“In viewing this footage, it is clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution from a district attorney,” Mamdani said, noting that Chakraborty has lived with schizophrenia for many years. He added that people experiencing mental health episodes do not always need to be served first or exclusively by police officers and that more response options should be available.
Mamdani said he met with Chakraborty’s family, who criticized his initial response to the shooting. Hours after the incident, the mayor said police had “encountered an individual wielding a knife” and that he was “grateful to the first responders who put themselves on the line each day to keep our communities safe.” Apparently, gratitude lasts only until the political pressure kicks in.
Chakraborty’s family later released a statement accusing law enforcement of causing the situation to “escalate quickly and unnecessarily.” They claimed the officer escalated the situation by drawing his gun and yelling orders, saying that within a minute of police arrival, Chakraborty was shot multiple times while he had been calmly eating just minutes earlier. The family called on the Queens DA’s office to drop any prosecution and demanded that the NYPD release additional body camera footage.
They also argued that police should not be responding to medical support calls and urged the mayor to create systems where responders are not police. According to them, families’ needs should be centered instead of being further traumatized. A noble sentiment—though it does not change the fact that a man with a knife charged an officer.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry told Fox News Digital that the body camera footage shows officers walked into “an unpredictable, fast-moving and dangerous situation.” He added that there was no time or space to de-escalate before they were forced to act and that the officers performed professionally and with restraint under terrible circumstances.
Once again, law enforcement is judged for surviving a life-threatening encounter, while politicians debate philosophy from behind podiums. The facts remain clear: officers responded to a dangerous call, gave repeated commands, and acted when a man with a knife charged at them. Public safety still matters, and standing with those who protect our communities is not just common sense—it’s the right thing to do.
