Alex Vitale

ALT To Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, We, the undersigned members of the New York City Council write to share our outrage that Mr. Jabez Chakraborty continues to be prosecuted as a result of an armed police response to a call for help during a mental health crisis that culminated in the police shooting Mr. Chakraborty, in his home. We call on you to immediately drop all charges your office has filed against him and allow Mr. Chakraborty and his family to begin to heal from the trauma this violent police response has wrought upon him, his family and his community in Queens. The events that befell Mr. Chakraborty on January 26th, 2026, were not the first of its kind in his tightknit Bangladeshi community in southwest Queens. The community continues to reel from the shocking police killing of another young community member in mental distress, Win Rozario, in March of 2024.

ALT Mr. Chakraborty, 22 at the time, was taking medication and receiving care at an outpatient facility. On the day he was shot, he was experiencing a mental health crisis associated with the onset of schizophrenia. Instead of being met with care and compassion, the gunshots almost killed him and it was unclear if he was going to survive as his family had to jump through unnecessary loopholes to even see him in the hospital. To date, our understanding is that your office has not investigated nor charged any of the officers with the attempted murder of Mr. Chakraborty. Instead, while Mr. Chakraborty lay in a hospital bed, recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, your office charged Mr. Chakraborty with a violent felony. In the aftermath of the shooting, NYPD officers questioned the family about their immigration status and confiscated their phones at the direction of your office.

ALT Tiffany Cabán Council Member Shahana Hanif Council Member Sandy Nurse Council Member Kayla Santosuosso Council Member Alexa Avilés Council Member Shirely Aldebol Council Member Carmen De La Rosa Council Member Harvey Epstein Council Member Amanda Farías Council Member Shekar Krishnan Council Member Christopher Marte Council Member Chi Ossé Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry Council Member Crystal Hudson Council Member Lincoln Restler Council Member