The NYPD on Tuesday released video of the recent police shooting of a 22-year-old man wielding a knife. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said it makes the case for his campaign promise to change the way the city responds to mental health calls.
However, Mamdani admitted he’s still in the process of figuring out when police officers need to be part of the equation.
What the footage shows
New Yorkers have been waiting over a week to see video of the confrontation between officers and Jabez Chakraborty, which took place on Jan. 26 inside his family’s Parsons Boulevard home in the Briarwood section of Queens.
Sources told CBS News New York his parents called 911 to ask for an involuntary removal of their son. Chakraborty, 22, has a history of mental health issues and was throwing glass against the wall.
Jabez Chakraborty
CBS News New York
The footage shows the moments after officers entered the home. At some point, Chakraborty grabs a knife from the kitchen and though a family member tries to stop him, he goes after the officers.
They close a glass door between the living room and the kitchen to stop him, but he comes through the door. At that point, one of the officers fires his gun, critically injuring Chakraborty.
Department of Community Safety is a must, Mamdani says
Mamdani said it was an example of why he wanted to set up a department separate from the NYPD to respond to EDPs, or emotionally disturbed people.
“No family should have to endure this kind of pain. Jabez needs mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution by a district attorney, and that is why I proposed creating a Department of Community Safety,” Mamdani said.
During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani said he would send teams of mental health professionals to respond to 911 calls like the one Chakraborty’s parents made. On Tuesday, he said police would be included, “when there is a violent situation, such as with a weapon, NYPD will be on the scene.”
CBS News New York’s Marcia Kramer asked the mayor for a clarification about when officers would be sent because in Chakraborty’s case, the 911 call didn’t indicate a weapon.
“How do you determine when the police can arrive, if the initial call doesn’t say he’s got a gun, he has a knife?” Kramer asked.
“A lot of this is exactly the focus of the conversations that we’re having internally in developing out this Department of Community Safety,” Mamdani said. “Additionally, I want to make clear that a person experiencing a mental health episode does not always have to be served first or exclusively by a police officer.”
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