The family of a Bronx man who was shot by police said their loved one was in the middle of a mental health crisis when help was called.  

The brothers and cousins of Raul De La Cruz are demanding the names of the officers who shot him, and the 311 call that his father made minutes before the shooting be released.  

The family of De La Cruz were outside of the 52nd Precinct on Friday, standing face-to-face with officers while pleading for justice.  

On March 26, De La Cruz’s father called 311 for help with his son’s schizophrenic episode. The family says they purposefully did not call 911 to avoid police escalation.  

When two NYPD officers entered the apartment building lobby, De La Cruz approached them with a kitchen knife. The officers shot De La Cruz six times.  

According to the NYPD, the entire incident unfolded within 28 seconds of the officers’ arrival. The family is asking why a call for help ended in De La Cruz being critically injured.

Last year, New York City launched the B-Heard program, where two trained EMTs and a mental health professional will respond to a call for a mental health crisis instead of police officers. That program has only been enacted in the South Bronx, and does not currently cover the 52nd Precinct where this incident took place.