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911 call shows Queens family asked for ambulance before NYPD shot son in mental health crisis
By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 4, 2026
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By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 4, 2026
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Police released a 911 call Wednesday showing 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 were told that both police and EMS would respond.
Jabez Chakraborty, 22, was shot four times by an NYPD officer on Jan. 26 after police responded to his family’s home in Briarwood. Body camera footage released Tuesday shows Chakraborty picking up a kitchen knife when officers entered and advancing toward them before an officer fired.
In the 911 call, a family member asks for "involuntary transportation" before clarifying that she wants an ambulance. She tells the dispatcher that Chakraborty is not violent, no one is injured and that he has no weapons. The dispatcher responds that "normally both parties respond" to such calls.
His family said Wednesday that Chakraborty had been "calmly eating food" minutes before police arrived and that the officers' presence caused the situation to escalate.
"Rather than de-escalate the situation, the officer instead further escalated by drawing his gun and yelling orders at Jabez," the family said in a statement. "Within a minute of NYPD's arrival, Jabez was shot multiple times and almost killed."
According to the video, an officer attempted to close a door between himself and Chakraborty and did not fire until the knife was within roughly a foot. NYPD training allows officers to use force when a person with a sharp object is within 21 feet of them, according to the department.
Chakraborty remains in the intensive care unit after undergoing multiple surgeries and is in and out of consciousness, the family said. He is currently handcuffed to his hospital bed and facing prosecution by the Queens district attorney's office, according to the family.
"We need the Queens DA to drop the prosecution against our son," the family said. "We call on Mayor Mamdani and public officials to support us to remove the cuffs from Jabez, and for the NYPD to stop harassing us."
An NYPD spokesperson said the request for involuntary removal automatically triggered both police and EMS responses. The spokesperson said officers were invited into the home and did not draw their weapons until Chakraborty grabbed a knife.
The case has renewed pressure on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to create a Department of Community Safety that would send clinicians instead of police to some mental health calls. Mamdani said Tuesday that Chakraborty needed mental health treatment rather than criminal prosecution.
The family also demanded the NYPD release all recordings from 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 account.
The Queens DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson previously said the office does not comment on ongoing investigations.
Tagged
Politics
public safety
queens
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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