BRIARWOOD, Queens (WABC) — New York City could see new changes to policing after parents called for help for their mentally ill 22-year-old son in emotional distress and police shot him inside the Briarwood, Queens home.<\/p>\n
The NYPD released body camera video of officers arriving at the home on January 26.<\/p>\n
Video appears to show 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty with a knife as a family member tries to stop him from moving toward the officer — who is then heard firing his gun after repeating commands to drop the knife.<\/p>\n
“The armed male was able to push through the closed door and continued to push toward the officers with the kitchen knife in hand,” said NYPD Patrol Borough Queens South Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh. “At this point the officers discharged their weapons at the armed male.”<\/p>\n
The young man’s family is furious.<\/p>\n
“We are shocked and outraged,” Chakraborty’s family said in a statement. “We called 911 for an ambulance to provide medical attention for our son, who was in emotional distress. We did not call the police. Instead of medical responders, the NYPD arrived and shot our son multiple times right in front of us.”<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he visited Jabez, who has lived with schizophrenia for many years.<\/p>\n
“Jabez needs mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution by a district attorney,” he said.<\/p>\n
The mayor questioned the protocols that led up to the shooting, and will likely speed up the launch of his “Department of Community Safety,” which would send social workers to the scene of a mental health crisis rather than police officers.<\/p>\n
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce weighed in on medical professionals being sent to these type of scenes:<\/p>\n
“If you’re going to send only medical professionals there, understand there’s a changing dynamic quickly. They can pick up a weapon and charge at them. What are they going to do then? How are they going to defend themselves? That’s why the police have to go to these things. Now, if you want to pair them up with a medical professional, that’s fine.”<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani says there are ongoing internal conversations for a different approach in these type of situations.<\/p>\n
There have been continued calls for an alternate response from mental health advocates for those in emotional distress.<\/p>\n
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