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Queens DA charges man shot by cops, despite Mayor Mamdani's objections
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 13, 2026
Modified Feb 13, 2026
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Charles Lane / Gothamist
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 13, 2026
Modified Feb 13, 2026
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Queens prosecutors brought charges Friday against a man who’d been shot by police last month — over the objections of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and of family members who said the man needed an ambulance, not a confrontation with cops.
Jabez Chakraborty, 22, pleaded not guilty to attempted assault and criminal weapons possession and was held on bail over his lawyer’s objections. Chakraborty’s lawyer said he is still bed-bound at Jamaica Hospital.
The charges come after police body-camera footage released by the city shows Chakraborty came at officers with a kitchen knife, despite his family’s pleas for him to stop and the officers’ commands for him to drop it before one of them shot him. The case has drawn attention in part because the family has criticized how city workers handled their call for help when Chakraborty was acting erratically, and Mamdani has said Chakraborty needs mental health care, not prosecution.
Chakraborty appeared before Judge Jessica Earle-Gargan remotely from his hospital bed, where he is still recovering.
He appeared on camera unshaven and beneath a hospital blanket. At several points he appeared to wipe away tears and spoke with a small voice when asked by Earle-Gargan if he understood the charges.
In a tense proceeding in Chakraborty’s mother’s presence, advocates and police union officials, prosecutors and defense attorneys set out dueling narratives about what happened the morning of the shooting. Prosecutors described how Chakraborty’s sister was recorded by body camera saying she was afraid her brother would “murder” her. Defense lawyers said the family was following Chakraborty’s psychiatrist’s orders and calling 911 to ask for involuntary transport.
But, Earle-Gargan said, “the mental system has failed.”
“This is an extremely difficult case because both sides are correct,” she said. “This is a tragedy to say the least.”
She ordered Chakraborty held on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 insurance bond.
Each side's legal teams revealed a number of new details about the incident.
Prosecutors said that Chakraborty’s sister said she thought her brother was attacking her. They said that on Dec. 7, he’d also attacked his mother and father, breaking down a door to get them, and said he’d attempted to attack a neighbor with a hammer. The previous incidents prompted District Attorney Melinda Katz to seek orders of protection which the judge did not grant because the family did not want them.
Chakraborty’s legal team said that he was in treatment that needed adjustment, and that he had a childlike demeanor. They said that despite his sister’s fearful statements given to police right after the shooting, she was still attending to him and wants him to eventually come home.
Katz did not reveal details about what police asked the family following the shooting, nor did she give a timeline for when and under what authority the police searched family members’ phones. The family members have said they were pressured to hand over their phones and were asked immigration related questions.
After court Chakraborty’s mother read a brief statement without taking questions.
“This is a nightmare. We didn’t need police, we just needed medical transport,” Juli Chakraborty said. “Katz must have no heart at all. Why does she want to torture a young man who has already suffered so much? Our family is demanding that she drop these charges against Jabez and that he be unshackled as he recovers.”
Four members of the Police Benevolent Association sat in front of the family during the arraignment. Outside the courthouse, union president Patrick Hendry underscored the sister’s words to police at the scene that she was thankful they had come.
“This is not for the public to decide,” he said. “It has to go through the justice system.”
Mamdani, at an unrelated event Friday, said “no family should have to endure this kind of pain,” reiterating his calls for overhauling the city’s approach to mental health incidents. “What they need right now is care, dignity, and support.
“Jabez should not be prosecuted by the Queens district attorney,” the mayor added. “His handcuffs should be removed and he should be receiving the care that he needs.”
Katz pushed back against the mayor, saying that she looks forward to his solutions for the city’s mental health care system.
“The mental health system didn't work, for whatever reason,” she said. “Maybe it did or maybe it didn’t, but we still need to assess that. But at the end of the day, we're faced with the circumstances that we are faced with today.”
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
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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Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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