New York City Mayor Mamdani is calling on the Queens District Attorney to drop all charges against Jabez Chakraborty, the man who grabbed a knife and advanced on NYPD officers during a 911 response in Queens on January 26. Bodycam footage from the incident shows officers repeatedly commanding Chakraborty to drop the weapon as he moved toward them, ultimately forcing Officer White to fire multiple shots to stop the threat. Chakraborty, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, survived the shooting. Despite the clear video evidence of the confrontation, the mayor held a press conference urging prosecutors to pursue care over criminal charges, arguing that the case should be treated as a mental health crisis rather than a criminal matter.
The Queens DA's office appears to see it differently. A grand jury reviewed the evidence and on Friday handed down a felony indictment against Chakraborty on charges of attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The indictment signals that prosecutors believe the evidence — including the bodycam footage — supports serious criminal charges regardless of the suspect's mental health history. The decision sets up a direct clash between the mayor's office and the district attorney over how the city should handle violent encounters involving individuals with mental illness.
The case has quickly become a flashpoint in New York City's ongoing debate over crime, policing, and public safety. Critics of the mayor's position argue that demanding charges be dropped for a man who armed himself and charged at police officers sends a dangerous message to both criminals and the officers tasked with protecting the public. Supporters of Mamdani counter that the mental health system, not the criminal justice system, is the appropriate response for individuals in psychiatric crisis. What isn't up for debate is what the bodycam shows — a man with a knife advancing on police who told him to stop — and now a city divided over what should happen next.