Police released a 911 call Wednesday showing that the family of a Queens man shot by officers explicitly requested an ambulance for a mental health emergency and told the dispatcher he was not violent and had no weapons, but that both police and ambulance would respond.
Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was shot four times by an NYPD officer on January 26 after police responded to his family’s home in Briarwood. Body camera footage released Tuesday shows Chakraborty picking up a kitchen knife as officers entered and advanced on them before an officer fired.
In the Call 911asks a family member for “involuntary transportation” before making it clear she wants an ambulance. She tells the dispatcher that Chakraborty is not violent, that no one was hurt and that he has no weapons. The dispatcher responds that “normally both parties respond” to such calls.
His family said on Wednesday that Chakraborty had been eating “quiet food” minutes before police arrived and that the officers’ presence caused the situation to escalate.
“Instead of de-escalating the situation, the officer escalated further by pulling his weapon and shouting commands at Jabez,” the family said in a statement. “Within a minute of the NYPD arriving, Jabez was shot multiple times and nearly killed.”
According to the video, an officer attempted to close a door between himself and Chakraborty and only fired when the knife was about 100 feet away. The NYPD training allows officers to use force when a person with a sharp object is within 20 feet of them, the department said.
Chakraborty remains in intensive care after undergoing multiple surgeries and is in and out of consciousness, the family said. According to the family, he is currently handcuffed to his hospital bed and is being prosecuted by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
“We need the Queen’s District Attorney to drop the charges against our son,” the family said. “We call on Mayor Mamdani and government officials to support us in removing Jabez’s handcuffs, and for the NYPD to stop harassing us.”
An NYPD spokesperson said the request for involuntary removal automatically prompted responses from both police and EMS personnel. The spokesperson said officers were invited into the house and only drew their weapons when Chakraborty pulled out a knife.
The case has renewed pressure on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to create a Department of Community Safety that would send doctors instead of police to some mental health visits. Mamdani said Tuesday that Chakraborty needed mental health treatment instead of criminal charges.
The family also demanded that the NYPD release all recordings of the incident, including footage of officers questioning family members after the shooting. They have accused officers of asking immigration-related questions. The NYPD has denied that story.
The Queens DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson previously said the agency does not comment on ongoing investigations.
#call #shows #Queens #family #requested #ambulance #NYPD #shot #son #mental #health #crisis