The family of 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty, who was shot by an NYPD officer in their Queens home last month, is calling for non-police emergency responses to mental and medical health crises after the release of body-camera footage and a 911 call connected to the incident.
The video, released by the NYPD on Tuesday, shows Officer Tyree White firing multiple shots at Chakraborty during a response to a 911 call made by his family seeking medical help. According to the family, they had expected medical professionals—not police officers—to arrive.
In a statement shared through DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving, the family said they watched the footage from Jabez’s hospital room, where he remains in the intensive care unit under police custody after undergoing multiple surgeries. “We were trying to get medical care for him and instead NYPD officers arrived,” the statement reads. “Within a minute of NYPD’s arrival, Jabez was shot multiple times and almost killed, while he was calmly eating food just minutes earlier. This is why officers should not be responding to medical support calls.”
The family also accused NYPD officers of harassment and intimidation following the shooting, including questioning about their immigration status and seizing their phones. They said officers remain stationed outside Jabez’s hospital room, even as he remains cuffed to his bed.
They are urging the Queens District Attorney to drop the prosecution against Jabez and calling on public officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to intervene and remove the restraints.
In their statement, the Chakrabortys demanded that the full body-camera footage—from the arrival of the first officers to the departure of the last—be released. They also renewed calls for non-police crisis response systems in New York City, saying families in distress should be met with medical and emotional support, not armed officers.
“Given our experience, and that of many other families,” they said, “we call on the Mayor for systems where we can call for responders who are not police.” The NYPD has not yet responded to the family’s latest requests.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
