Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the Queens district attorney not to prosecute the knife-wielding mentally ill man shot by cops inside his home — just hours before he was arraigned from a hospital bed Friday afternoon.
Mamdani, who had questioned the protocol in the Jan. 26 police-involved shooting, told reporters Jabez Chakraborty, 22, should not face charges after he allegedly lunged at cops while holding a knife.
“Jabez should not be prosecuted by the Queen’s district attorney,” Hizzoner said when asked about the case against the schizophrenic man during an unrelated press conference about expanding bus and bike lanes.
“His handcuffs should be removed, and he should be receiving the care that moments like this,” Mamdani said.
The mayor noted that he had not spoken directly with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz about the case, but said, “No family should have to endure this kind of thing.”
Prosecutors had been set to arraign Chakraborty on charges of attempted assault and criminal possession — but his first appearance in Queens Supreme Court hit a snag after his lawyers objected to him appearing virtually.
Judge Jessica Earle-Gargan, after hearing arguments from both sides, ultimately allowed the virtual arraignment to proceed, and Chakraborty cried as he was arraigned from his hospital bed.
“This is an extremely difficult case,” she said.
Chakraborty was hospitalized at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition after being shot four times at his family’s home on Parsons Boulevard near 85th Avenue in Briarwood.
“As alleged, the defendant tried to attack a police officer while holding a large knife, ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon, and then forcibly pushed through a door the officer was using as a shield to protect himself. The officer then discharged his weapon and hit Jabez Chakraborty four times,” Katz, the DA, said in a statement.
“As prosecutors, we are duty-bound to follow the facts, evidence and circumstances where they lead us, including in cases that have a mental health component,” she said.
“These decisions, however, must be thoughtful, deliberative and based on the expertise of mental health professionals. Dispositions can take vastly different forms, and I will use the resources of my office to address the unique needs in this case while upholding my responsibility to keep this borough safe.”
Bodycam footage from the incident was released by the NYPD earlier this month, as was a 911 call from a female relative who requestioned “involuntary transportation” for Chakraborty, who she said had been hurling glass against the wall.
The family member had asked for only EMS — not police — to respond to the call, saying, “Last time when something like this happened, we called for the cops and they said we should have called for an ambulance instead.”
A woman answered the door when cops arrived and they followed her into the living room where Chakraborty, who officials described as having a “history of mental issues,” grabbed a large kitchen knife and brandished it as he stepped toward officer Tyree White.
“Put the knife down! Drop the knife!” White could be heard yelling multiple times.
The cop had walked into a vestibule and closed a door to keep Chakraborty from advancing on him, footage shows — but the knife-wielding man was able to push his way through the door and step toward White.
That’s when White opened fire, striking Chakraborty four times, as family yelled and cried, according to the bodycam footage.
Earlier this month, Mamdani had said that Chakraborty shouldn’t face criminal charges — and that the man needed “mental health treatment.”
The mayor argued that the shooting highlighted the city’s urgent need for a different mental health response system.
“That is why I proposed creating a Department of Community Safety to build a mental health system rooted in prevention, and sustained care, and a real crisis response, so officers no longer have to handle these situations alone,” he said.
— Additional reporting by Matthew Fischetti