A Times Square stabbing ended with NYPD officers fatally shooting suspect Pamela Cisneros after she allegedly attacked two people with knives. Police said repeated commands and multiple Taser deployments failed to stop her as she advanced toward officers. The shooting has raised questions over alternative restraint methods, the officers’ response and what New York law permits in such situations.
The fatal shooting of 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros by NYPD officers in Times Square has raised a central question: why did police shoot her instead of physically restraining her after she allegedly stabbed two people? The answer, based on preliminary police accounts, lies in what officers say was an immediate threat involving two knives, failed attempts at de-escalation and a suspect who continued moving toward them.
The incident unfolded on Monday, August 31, when Cisneros allegedly stabbed a 68-year-old man and about 20 seconds later, a 32-year-old woman in what police described as a random and unprovoked attack. The woman later died, while the man remained in stable condition. Cisneros then moved toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, still carrying two knives.
Four-Minute Standoff Before Officers Opened Fire
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, officers confronted Cisneros near West 43rd Street after she moved north from the stabbing locations. Police repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives during an encounter that lasted roughly four minutes.
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