NYPD Door Breach Sparks Split-Second Gunfire

New York City’s mayor is urging “treatment, not prosecution” after bodycam footage shows a knife-wielding suspect forcing a door open and getting shot—an upside-down message that alarms Americans who still expect government to defend law-abiding people and the officers protecting them.

Quick Take

NYPD bodycam released Feb. 3 shows a Queens officer shooting 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty after he advanced with a kitchen knife and forced through a door.
The initial 911 call asked for EMS during a mental health episode, but NYPD officers also responded and the encounter escalated in under a minute.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with the family and publicly argued Chakraborty needs mental health treatment rather than criminal prosecution.
Queens DA Melinda Katz is reviewing the case, and New York’s attorney general also reviews police shootings under standard protocol.

What the Bodycam Footage Shows in Queens

NYPD released body-worn camera video from a Jan. 26 response to a Briarwood, Queens home after a family member called 911 reporting a mental health crisis and requested EMS. Authorities say 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty, who has schizophrenia, went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and advanced toward Officer Tyree White. The officer backed into a vestibule, shut a door, and fired four times when Chakraborty forced the door open.

Officials say officers immediately shifted to medical aid, including applying a tourniquet, and Chakraborty was taken to the hospital. Reports describe him as in critical but stable condition, with multiple surgeries and ventilator support. The physical setting matters: accounts describe a tight apartment layout with a narrow transitional space, giving officers little room to create distance once a blade is introduced. That compressed environment can limit options that sound simple on paper.

Mayor Mamdani’s “No Charges” Message and Why It’s Contested

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s public posture became the political flashpoint. After meeting with the family, Mamdani argued Chakraborty needs mental health treatment rather than prosecution, framing the incident as a crisis that should not be “criminalized.” Coverage also notes Mamdani initially praised officers after the shooting, then shifted tone following family criticism. The available reporting does not show the mayor controlling charging decisions, but it does show him using the bully pulpit to shape expectations.

The family’s account emphasizes that they called for medical help, not a police confrontation, and they argue the situation escalated unnecessarily. NYPD leadership and the Police Benevolent Association counter that the bodycam depicts an unpredictable, fast-moving threat where de-escalation time was limited once the knife appeared and the suspect advanced. Those competing narratives hinge on seconds of decision-making, which is precisely why transparent release of video is valuable to the public.

Charging Authority: What Investigators Actually Decide Next

The investigation now runs through institutions the public often conflates. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is the official who evaluates potential criminal charges connected to the incident, including whether Chakraborty could face an attempted murder allegation based on the reported knife attack on an officer. Separately, New York’s attorney general reviews police shootings that result in death or serious injury as a matter of statewide protocol, even when the person survives.

Because the shooting was not reported as fatal, the key legal questions remain open in the public record: whether the officer’s use of force is deemed justified under department policy and state law, and whether the suspect’s conduct meets the elements of a charge despite his mental health diagnosis. The reporting available so far describes an “underway” investigation, not a final prosecutorial decision, and it does not document any criminal charge against Officer White.

The Broader Policy Fight: Mental Health Response vs. Public Safety

New York City’s long-running debate over how to handle mental health calls sits behind every frame of this footage. The incident feeds arguments for more non-police crisis teams and an “EMS-first” response model, especially when family members explicitly request medical help. At the same time, the video and police statements underscore an uncomfortable reality: even a call that starts as a welfare check can turn into a lethal-force scenario in seconds.

Pulse-Pounding Body Cam Footage Shows the Moment NYPD Officer Shoots Knife-Wielding Man in Self-Defense – NYC Mayor Mamdani Meets with Perp and Demands He Face NO CHARGES (VIDEO) https://t.co/bSxqu7NRo4 #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit

— JB (@JBbandera) February 5, 2026

For many Americans—especially those tired of ideological governance—this is the core tension: public officials can expand treatment infrastructure without signaling that violent attacks are beyond accountability. Mental illness can be a vital factor in diversion and sentencing decisions, but it does not erase the state’s duty to protect the public and the constitutional order that allows police to stop an imminent threat. The next steps by the DA and AG will define where New York draws that line.