New York City police fatally shot a woman Monday following a stabbing incident in Times Square, authorities stated at a press conference.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch characterized the stabbings as random and unprovoked, committed by a woman with a history of mental health issues.
Authorities identified the suspect as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, who wielded two knives and stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen at Times Square, before stabbing another woman in the stomach.
Police subsequently confronted Cisneros and attempted to persuade her to drop her knives, but she refused after approximately four minutes of negotiation.
According to Tisch, who reviewed body camera footage, Cisneros told officers: ‘I am not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.’
Multiple officers deployed stun guns in an attempt to subdue Cisneros, but she continued advancing with knives. Two officers then discharged their service weapons, and the incident was recorded by body cameras, Tisch noted.
Cisneros and both stabbing victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital, where Cisneros and the female victim were pronounced dead. The male victim remains in stable condition.
Both Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended the officers’ use of lethal force, noting that the incident will be investigated, as is standard for officer-involved shootings in New York.
‘I want to thank the NYPD officers who intervened and prevented a horrific attack from worsening,’ Mamdani stated.
