NEW YORK (PIX11) — Authorities have released police body camera footage amid concerns over the police shooting of a man wielding a knife in New York City.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to speed up his plan to change how the city responds to people in mental health crises.
Jabez Chakraborty, 22, who suffers from schizophrenia, was shot by police officers inside his home on Jan. 26.
His family called 911 for help when he began breaking glass. The body camera footage shows Chakraborty holding a large kitchen knife and a family member trying to stop him from walking towards the officers.
The officers involved can be heard several times telling Chakraborty to “drop the knife”, and one officer closes a door in the house to try to keep Chakraborty away. At least one officer fired several shots. Chakraborty remains hospitalized.
The Chakraborty family has since criticized the police response and the mayor’s initial praise of first responders last week. In a statement, the family said in part, ” We called 911 for an ambulance to provide medical attention for our son, who was in emotional distress. We did not call the police.”
“In meeting with the family, sitting with Jabez at the hospital, and in viewing this footage, it is clear to me that what Jabez needs is mental health treatment,” Mamdani said Tuesday, amidst criticism.
“We are talking about the pain of a family enduring what no family should, and a man that has lived with schizophrenia for many years, and we have known of the need of a department, of community, of community safety– and the urgency of being able to deliver it for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
The mayor’s proposal for a Department of Community Safety includes subway greeters and a virtual army of social workers and mental health resources. In general, everything about the plan translates to police taking a back seat when it comes to mental health.
NewsNation affiliate WPIX pressed the mayor about situations like the one involving Chakraborty in Queens, where there is a risk of violence or a weapon.
“What these options include are teams of behavioral specialists, peer experts, and of course, police, so they can intervene when the need arises,” Mamdani said. “I’ve saidthat when there’s a violent situation, such as when there’s a weapon, the NYPD will be on the scene.”
The Mayor stressed that details of extremely difficult responses are still being figured out by his team. He also said an allegation by the family that police ask immigration questions and treated them badly following the shooting is being investigated.
