Man who charged NYPD with a knife, got shot, gets hospital visit from Mayor Mamdani

A knife-wielding man who was shot last week while advancing on police officers received a visit in the hospital from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, a socialist, announced his visit during a Tuesday press conference. He urged the District Attorney not to prosecute the "mentally ill" suspect and advocated for alternative policing.

Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was shot by NYPD officers on Jan. 26, when he charged at officers with a large kitchen knife. According to authorities, officers responded to an emergency call from the family alleging Chakraborty had been throwing glass at his home in Briarwood. Upon arrival, officers observed Chakraborty armed with a knife and ordered him to drop the weapon. Officers fired bullets at Chakraborty after the individual refused several demands and advanced on them. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

NYPD bodycam footage captured the incident. The family said in a statement that they had asked for emergency medical responders to come to the scene, instead of police. "We called 911 for an ambulance to provide medical attention for our son, who was in emotional distress," the family said. "We did not call the police. Instead of medical responders, the NYPD arrived and shot our son multiple times in front of us."
 

Mayor Mamdani said he had met with Chakraborty and his family at the hospital, and urged Chakraborty not to be prosecuted. "In viewing this footage, it is clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution from a district attorney, and we are talking about a family that is enduring the kind of pain that no family should, and an individual that has lived with schizophrenia for many years."

"A person experiencing a mental health episode," he continued, "does not always have to be served first or exclusively by a police officer. It is important for us to have all of the options available."

Fox News reported that the Queens district attorney's office is investigating the incident. The family criticized Mamdani's initial response to the shooting, where the mayor commended the NYPD's response to a threatening situation.