Erin Piacenti centers on Pamela Cisneros, whom NYPD officers fatally shot after police said she stabbed two people in Times Square on Monday afternoon. A 32-year-old woman died and a 68-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries before later stabilizing.
The confrontation began near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue at about 4:26 p.m., when investigators said Cisneros was threatening people with two knives. Officers confronted her near the NYPD substation in Times Square after witnesses flagged them down.
Jessica Tisch said the attack was “random and unprovoked.” She also said officers gave Cisneros numerous commands over four minutes to drop the knives, deployed two tasers, and then fired their service weapons at about 4:27 p.m. The suspect was identified by police as a 49-year-old woman from Queens.
Times Square and West 42nd Street
Police said one victim had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when Cisneros allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen. The second victim was approached and allegedly stabbed in the abdomen after she moved up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street.
The location shaped the response. Times Square brought officers, witnesses, and bystanders into the same few blocks, and the confrontation ended beside the NYPD substation rather than somewhere farther from the street. That left police to make the stop in public, with little distance between the suspect, the officers, and the people already caught in the attack.
Bob Blomeley in Ireland
Bob Blomeley said after the incident, “We're from Ireland, where we don't see this at all. It's the first time I've ever seen anything like this. And you don't see police officers with guns,” and added, “It's just on us to, to be mindful of, like staying aware of our surroundings and the people that are in it, and making good choices. And that means being mindful and not being distracted by my phone all the time, or what's playing in my ears,”.
Clyde Benjamin said, “I knew it was mental health issues. That's a big epidemic out here, bro. We gotta get that under control,” after the attack. Police said Cisneros had a documented mental health history, and officials said the incident was not terror-related. The unresolved issue is why she allegedly attacked the two people in Times Square, and whether investigators release any further findings on her motive or the police shooting.
