QUEENS, N.Y. — Relatives of a 22-year-old man who was shot multiple times by police inside his Queens home say they dialed 911 seeking emergency medical assistance, not a law-enforcement response, raising fresh questions about how mental health calls are handled in New York City.
According to the family, Jabez Chakraborty remains hospitalized, connected to a ventilator, and has undergone several surgeries following the shooting on Monday. A family spokesperson said Chakraborty was struck at least four times.
Simran Thind, an organizer with Desis Rising Up and Moving, said relatives were explicit with the 911 dispatcher that they wanted an ambulance to transport Chakraborty to a hospital. “They made it clear he was not a danger and that he needed medical care,” Thind said, adding that the family did not request police intervention.
The New York City Police Department has offered a different account. Police officials said officers were sent to the home on Parsons Boulevard near 85th Avenue after receiving reports of a man smashing glass. Once inside, officers said Chakraborty approached them while holding a kitchen knife, prompting them to open fire.
An NYPD spokesperson stated that the 911 caller requested an involuntary mental health removal, a designation that automatically dispatches both police and emergency medical services. The Fire Department of the City of New Yorkconfirmed that EMS units responded to what it described as a mental health emergency. Police also said officers were allowed into the apartment by family members and that no weapons were drawn until Chakraborty picked up the knife.
Dispute Over Post-Shooting Conduct
Family members further allege that after the shooting, officers confiscated their phones and questioned them about their immigration status, including where they were from, recent travel history, and whether a family member was born in the United States. “There was absolutely no reason for those questions,” Thind said. “They had nothing to do with what happened.”
The NYPD denied those claims, saying there is no indication officers asked immigration-related questions. Police said phones were taken later at the request of the Queens District Attorney’s Office as part of the investigation. A spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Brendan Brosh declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Echoes of a Prior Tragedy
For the Chakraborty family, the incident has revived painful memories of another police shooting involving a mental health call. They point to the 2024 killing of Win Rozario, a 19-year-old from the same Bangladeshi Christian community, who was fatally shot by NYPD officers in Ozone Park after his family sought help during a mental health crisis.
In that case, the state attorney general’s office declined to pursue criminal charges against the officers, though the Civilian Complaint Review Board later recommended misconduct charges, potentially leading to departmental proceedings.
Thind said Chakraborty’s mother, Juli Chakraborty, feared history was repeating itself. “She was terrified that her son would end up like Win,” Thind said. “That fear was overwhelming in those moments.”
As investigations continue, the family is calling for greater clarity — and restraint — in how emergency calls involving mental health crises are handled, insisting that a request for medical help should never escalate into a life-threatening encounter.
By The Midtown Times Staff
