NYPD releases body-camera footage of Queens shooting during mental health crisis response
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has released body-worn camera video from a police-involved shooting in Briarwood, Queens, involving 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty. Police said Chakraborty’s parents called 911 on the morning of January 26 reporting he was in emotional distress and needed medical attention, and officers arrived within minutes.
What the footage and police accounts describe
In the video released by the NYPD, officers are seen being let into the residence. NYPD officials said the encounter escalated after Chakraborty allegedly armed himself with a large kitchen knife and advanced toward officers.
According to the NYPD account summarized in the reporting, officers repeatedly told Chakraborty to drop the knife while backing away. The footage shows a family member attempting to prevent him from advancing. Police said the officer repositioned into the home’s vestibule and closed a door separating himself from the living room, but Chakraborty pushed through the closed door and continued moving toward officers with the knife.
Police said an officer then fired, striking Chakraborty four times. He was taken to a hospital, where he was reported to be in intensive care in stable but critical condition.
911 call audio referenced in the release
Reporting on the NYPD release states the video begins with audio from a 911 call described as coming from a “civilian witness,” who said Chakraborty was experiencing a mental health episode and had thrown a glass against a wall. The caller asked for EMS and requested an ambulance so he could be taken involuntarily to a hospital.
Investigation and potential charges
The incident is under investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Reporting citing preliminary information said prosecutors were reviewing whether to seek an indictment for attempted murder.
Mayor Mamdani’s comments
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he viewed the footage and visited Chakraborty in the hospital. He said Chakraborty “has lived with schizophrenia for many years” and argued the case highlights the need for a different mental-health response system, adding that Chakraborty “needs mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution.”
Mamdani also reiterated support for creating a “Department of Community Safety,” describing it as a way to build crisis response rooted in prevention and sustained care, while also saying police would still respond when there is a violent situation involving a weapon.
Family and union responses
Chakraborty’s family released a statement saying they had called 911 for an ambulance and did not request police, and they alleged the situation escalated unnecessarily. They asked the Queens DA to drop any prosecution and requested additional body-camera footage be released.
Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Hendry said in a statement that the footage shows officers entered an “unpredictable, fast-moving and dangerous situation,” and he said there was no time or space to de-escalate before officers were forced to act.
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