Newly released body camera footage from the New York Police Department shows officers attempting to de-escalate a tense standoff with a woman who allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square.
The video, released on Friday, captures the four-minute confrontation between police and 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, who was armed with two knives. According to the footage, officers repeatedly ordered Cisneros to drop the knives and "just breathe" as they tried to calm her down.
During the standoff, Cisneros told officers she was "tired of this world" and that they would have to kill her. One officer attempted to reason with her, saying "There's a lot to live for. The world is hard. Especially New York City. Trust me, we all suffer. But this is not the way."
As the encounter grew more tense, Cisneros refused to surrender, and officers eventually deployed Tasers after she began waving the knives. However, the devices failed to stop her, and she advanced towards the officers with the blades pointed at them. Police then opened fire, striking Cisneros.
She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The police recovered both knives at the scene.
The confrontation began minutes after Cisneros allegedly stabbed a 68-year-old man near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, seriously injuring him. She then walked north and fatally stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a Bank of America executive and mother of a newborn daughter, near West 42nd Street.
The NYPD has described the attacks as random and unprovoked, and there is no indication that the attack was related to terrorism. Cisneros had documented mental health-related encounters with the department in 2018 and 2019 but no prior arrest record.
The NYPD's Force Investigation Division is continuing to investigate the shooting before the case is presented to the department's Use of Force Review Board.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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