NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says Attempted Cop Killer Shouldn’t Be Prosecuted [WATCH]

A 22-year-old Queens man has been indicted on felony charges after prosecutors say he grabbed a large kitchen knife and charged at police officers who responded to his home in January, even as Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly opposed criminal prosecution in the case.

Jabez Chakraborty was charged with one count of first-degree attempted assault and one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

He was held on $50,000 cash bail following his indictment.

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The incident occurred on Jan. 26, when Chakraborty’s sister called 911 requesting an involuntary transport.

According to prosecutors, Chakraborty lunged at responding officers with a kitchen knife.

Officers shot him multiple times during the encounter.

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In court, prosecutors cited statements from Chakraborty’s sister, who told police he “could have murdered” her, their parents, and grandparents.

Prosecutors sought to have Chakraborty remanded and requested an order of protection for the family.

The request for remand was denied.

Defense attorneys described the extent of Chakraborty’s injuries in court.

“His body was shredded” by police gunfire, the defense said.

He was shot twice in the abdomen, which remains open, twice in the chest and twice in the groin.

“He cannot stand, he cannot walk. He is connected to tubes to keep him alive,” defense attorneys said.

Chakraborty appeared in court from his hospital bed in the intensive care unit at Jamaica Hospital.

He sobbed as the charges were read and was seen wiping his eyes while someone at his bedside comforted him.

According to his attorneys, Chakraborty was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years ago.

The defense characterized the decision to prosecute him as “inhumane.”

Following the shooting, Mayor Mamdani met with Chakraborty and his family at the hospital.

The mayor later said he did not believe charges were appropriate.

Mamdani said Chakraborty “should not be prosecuted” and “his handcuffs should be removed.”

He also questioned the protocols that preceded the shooting, stating that Chakraborty required “mental health treatment, not prosecution by a district attorney.”

“Moments like this lay bare what so many New Yorkers already know. Our city must build a mental health response that is rooted in prevention and compassion and crisis care,” Mamdani said.

“That is the focus of our administration and these are my thoughts of what Jabez needs at this moment.”

The mayor acknowledged that he had not spoken directly with the Queens District Attorney about the case, but added that “no family should have to endure this kind of pain.”

Despite the mayor’s statements, the Queens District Attorney’s Office moved forward with prosecution on Friday.

Chakraborty was not immediately charged in the days following the shooting. At the time, a police official said body-worn camera footage appeared to show that officers followed their training during the encounter.

The official said that attempted assault of a police officer and menacing charges would be appropriate based on the footage.

Under New York law, first-degree attempted assault carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The case now proceeds as Chakraborty remains hospitalized under medical supervision, with prosecutors advancing charges tied to the Jan. 26 confrontation and the mayor maintaining that the situation should have been addressed through mental health intervention rather than criminal prosecution.

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