A 22-year-old Queens man who was shot multiple times by police during what authorities described as a mental health crisis has been indicted on attempted assault and weapon charges — prompting criticism from his family, defense attorneys, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
A grand jury indicted Jabez Chakraborty, of Briarwood, on charges of first-degree attempted assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday.
Chakraborty — who had been on a ventilator, at one point, while hospitalized after the shooting — was arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Justice Jessica Earle-Gargan, who ordered him to return to court on March 11. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on Jan. 26 at approximately 10:25 a.m., a 911 call was placed by one of Chakraborty’s relatives reporting that he was throwing glass inside the family home.
When two NYPD officers arrived and were let inside, they saw Chakraborty in the kitchen, according to prosecutors and body-cam footage released earlier this month. He then grabbed a large knife and started walking toward them.
“The defendant allegedly advanced toward the officer and changed his grip on the knife to flip the blade upside down while winding his right arm back,” the district attorney’s office said.
When an officer backed up and closed a door separating the home’s foyer from the living room, Chakraborty allegedly opened the foyer door and continued toward the officer, who fired four times at him. The officer instructed Chakraborty to put the knife down at least eight times before discharging his firearm, according to prosecutors.
Chakraborty was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he has been receiving treatment since the incident.
“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,” Katz said in the release.
“The officer then discharged his weapon and hit Jabez Chakraborty four times. 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. 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.”
Advocates and family fume over indictment
Julie Chakraborty, the mother of Jabez, described the charges as a “nightmare” and called for DA Katz to drop the charges.
“We didn’t need police, we just needed medical transport. When we called 911 for an ambulance, we never could have imagined that we would end up here today,” she said. “Jabez and our family were safe in our home until the NYPD arrived. Now Jabez is recovering from multiple surgeries, handcuffed to a hospital bed. He has a long, difficult recovery ahead. Now, DA Katz wants to put him in prison. Hasn’t he suffered enough? Locking him up will destroy his life. All we want is for him to be able to heal.”
Chakraborty added that the ordeal has been “traumatizing” for the family, saying they had witnessed Jabez being shot “right in front of us.”
“Then the NYPD interrogated us about our immigration status, took our phones, and kept us from seeing him. Now Jabez is being unjustly charged with a crime and we are being forced to pay bail to the system that keeps hurting him,” she said. “DA 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.”
The Legal Aid Society, which is representing Chakraborty, said he has no prior criminal convictions and was shot multiple times after his family requested medical help.
“Jabez Chakraborty, who has no prior criminal convictions, was shot multiple times by NYPD officers and is now fighting to recover,” the organization said in a statement. “His family requested an ambulance, seeking trained medical responders.”
The group said Chakraborty underwent multiple surgeries, was placed on a ventilator, and remains hospitalized. It added that he has been shackled to his bed and under constant police supervision while drifting in and out of consciousness.
In their statements, the Legal Aid Society and the Chakraborty family also alleged that officers questioned family members about their immigration status, seized their phones and passwords, and held them at a precinct for hours without clear information about Chakraborty’s condition. Police officials have not publicly responded to those claims.
“Full discovery from the District Attorney’s office is still pending and will be carefully reviewed. Like every New Yorker represented by our office, Mr. Chakraborty will receive a robust and vigorous defense,” Legal Aid said.
Gideon Oliver, Jabez’s civil attorney, said DA Katz’s “rushed, secret indictment of Jabez and request that the Court remand him are both unnecessary and unconscionable.”
“Jabez needs real help – not being locked up. We call on her to do the right thing and drop the charges,” Oliver said in a statement.
Prior to Friday’s arraignment, Mayor Mamdani said he had not spoken directly with the district attorney but expressed sympathy for the family and questioned the decision to prosecute.
“No family should have to endure this kind of pain,” Mamdani said. “What they need right now is care, dignity, and support.”
The mayor said Chakraborty “should not be prosecuted” and instead should be receiving mental health treatment.
“His handcuffs should be removed, and he should be receiving the care that he needs,” Mamdani said. “Moments like this lay bare what so many New Yorkers already know — that our city must build a mental health response rooted in prevention, compassion and crisis care.”
