NYPD Victim SHAMED — Mayor’s Stunning Betrayal

A mentally ill man charged NYPD officers with a kitchen knife in his own home, yet New York City’s Mayor now demands the victim of this attack—not the armed assailant—receive protection from prosecution, exposing a dangerous shift that prioritizes ideology over officer safety and common sense.

Story Snapshot

NYPD officers shot 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty after he charged them with a kitchen knife during a mental health crisis call on January 26, 2026, leaving him in critical condition
Mayor Zohran Mamdani reversed his initial support for officers, now demanding mental health treatment instead of criminal charges despite bodycam footage showing the rapid, life-threatening attack
The family requested EMS responders, not police, but NYC’s 911 system dispatched NYPD instead, highlighting systemic failures in mental health crisis response
Police Benevolent Association defends officers’ split-second decision as justified self-defense, while the Queens DA investigates potential attempted murder charges against Chakraborty

Split-Second Threat Captured on Bodycam

Officer Tyree White fired four shots at Jabez Chakraborty on January 26, 2026, after the 22-year-old schizophrenic man burst through a door with a large kitchen knife and charged directly at officers in his Briarwood, Queens home. Bodycam footage released February 3 by the NYPD shows officers retreating to a vestibule and repeatedly ordering Chakraborty to drop the weapon while his mother attempted to intervene. When Chakraborty pushed through the closed door and advanced with the knife raised, Officer White had mere seconds to respond to the lethal threat, leaving no realistic time for further de-escalation.

Mayor’s Flip Flop Undermines Law Enforcement

Mayor Zohran Mamdani initially praised first responders after the shooting but reversed course days later at a February 3 press conference, declaring “Jabez needs mental health treatment, not prosecution.” This about-face directly contradicts the objective evidence showing officers faced an imminent deadly threat, yet Mamdani prioritizes his progressive mental health reform agenda over supporting police who protected themselves from an armed attacker. The Queens District Attorney continues investigating potential attempted murder charges against Chakraborty, creating a bizarre scenario where politicians advocate for leniency toward a man who violently assaulted law enforcement officers with a deadly weapon.

Systemic Failure in 911 Dispatch Protocols

Chakraborty’s family specifically requested an ambulance for an involuntary psychiatric commitment when calling 911 about his mental health episode, which included throwing glass and belligerent behavior linked to his documented schizophrenia diagnosis. Despite this clear request for medical intervention, NYC’s 911 system dispatched armed police officers from the 107th Precinct instead of specialized mental health responders. This dispatch failure reflects broader systemic problems with underfunded alternatives like the B-HEARD program, forcing police to handle medical emergencies they are not equipped to manage while simultaneously placing officers in dangerous situations where they must defend themselves.

Family and Advocates Demand Police-Free Response

The Chakraborty family, partnered with advocacy group Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), accuses police of unnecessary escalation and demands dropped charges plus implementation of non-police crisis response systems. Family members claim officers drew guns immediately upon arrival and demanded access to phones and passwords, though bodycam footage focuses on the knife attack sequence itself. While the family’s trauma is understandable given their son remains on a ventilator in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital following emergency surgery, their demands ignore the reality that officers faced a lethal threat requiring immediate defensive action to preserve their own lives.

Police Union Defends Officers’ Restraint

Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry emphasized that bodycam footage demonstrates “professional restraint” by officers confronting an “unpredictable” and rapidly evolving threat in an enclosed space. NYPD Assistant Chief Chris McIntosh and other law enforcement sources confirmed officers had “almost no time” to de-escalate once Chakraborty emerged wielding the knife and advanced toward them. This incident underscores the impossible position progressive policies create for officers: respond to mental health calls without proper support systems, face deadly threats requiring split-second decisions, then endure political condemnation for defending themselves when left with no alternatives by the very system that failed to provide specialized responders in the first place.