Mayor's Anti-Police Stance Sparks Outrage as Violence Escalates in NYC

New Yorkers woke up to a story that should worry every law-abiding citizen: 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty allegedly charged at NYPD officers with a large kitchen knife inside his Queens apartment and was shot by an officer after officers say he ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon. The encounter, which the NYPD says culminated when Chakraborty forced through a glass door and advanced on officers, left him hospitalized in critical condition and the city debating who bears responsibility for the chaos.

 Instead of standing firmly with the men and women who run toward danger, Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly urged the Queens district attorney not to prosecute the suspect and insisted the young man needs mental-health treatment rather than criminal charges. Mamdani said he reviewed body-worn camera footage and met with the family, using the tragedy as a platform to call for alternatives to police-led responses during crises. That stance has outraged many who believe law enforcement must be supported when they face life-threatening situations.

Concerned residents and critics across the city rightly asked whether the mayor’s political instincts are blinding him to the basic need for accountability. With the Queens DA’s office investigating and reportedly considering attempted-murder charges, it is not for a politician—who did not have to make a split-second life-or-death decision—to preempt the legal process or tell prosecutors how to do their jobs. New Yorkers want both justice and safety, and handing political cover to violent behavior risks neither.

There is no question mental illness demands compassion and real treatment, but compassion should not become a get-out-of-jail-free card for violent acts. When an individual advances on officers with a 13- or 14-inch blade, the primary obligation of government is to protect law-abiding citizens and the police who put themselves between danger and our families. Using mental-health advocacy as a shield for violent behavior undermines public safety and insults the men and women who answer calls at all hours.

Yes, our city needs better crisis-response systems so social workers and clinicians can intervene before situations turn deadly, and Mamdani’s talk of a new Department of Community Safety is a reminder that reform is possible. But reforms must be practical, adequately funded, and implemented without diminishing the tools officers need to respond to violence. Any plan that prioritizes ideology over practicality will leave neighborhoods less safe and embolden bad actors.

Patriotic New Yorkers should demand clarity: support for mental-health treatment, yes; but not at the expense of accountability, rule of law, and the safety of our streets. Elected officials who rush to shield suspects from prosecution while criticizing police deserve to be held to account by voters who pay taxes and expect government to keep them safe. If the mayor truly cares about preventing tragedies, he should lead on building better systems—not undermine prosecutions before the facts and justice systems have run their course.

This moment is a test of priorities for every New Yorker who values safety, fairness, and common sense. Stand with officers who face danger on our behalf, insist on real mental-health solutions that work, and reject political posturing that excuses violent behavior under the guise of compassion. Our families and neighborhoods depend on it.