NYPD Releases New Details in Fatal Times Square Stabbing, Officer-Involved Shooting
W 43rd St & 7th Ave, Midtown, Manhattan
Published · Updated
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Summary
- Officers shot and killed 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens in Times Square Monday afternoon after she stabbed two people, one fatally, in what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called a "random and unprovoked" attack.
- Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019, but no arrests.
- According to Tisch, Cisneros pulled two knives from a red Target bag near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue around 4:26 p.m. and stabbed a 68-year-old man from Rhode Island, who had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife.
- About 20 seconds later, she stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, in the abdomen near 42nd Street. Piacenti was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she later died; the man remains hospitalized but has stabilized.
- Cisneros then fled north toward an NYPD substation, where officers confronted her for about four minutes, repeatedly ordering her to drop the knives. She refused, telling officers, "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you."
- After two Tasers proved ineffective, two officers fired their weapons, striking her. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani thanked the responding officers, and NYPD said body-worn camera footage will be released to the public as part of the ongoing internal investigation by the NYPD's Force Investigation Division.
Timeline
The deceased victim has been identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Reports indicate she was a Vice President at the Bank of America.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.
The officers involved in the shooter were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation, according to an NYPD press release.
The suspect has since been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police have since deemed yesterday's fatal officer-involved shooting and knife attack as "random and unprovoked".
Traffic is closed from West 42nd to West 47th streets as the investigation continues. Avoid the area.
Officers tried to use less-lethal force before firing at the woman, who was armed with two knives and refused to drop them, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
Both the woman who was stabbed and the suspect shot by police have died from their injuries, according to the NYPD via ABC and the New York Times. The man wounded in the stabbing remains in critical condition.
The NYPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting to Citizen but has not confirmed reports that multiple people were stabbed. Multiple outlets report that at least two people were stabbed before officers shot the woman.
At least two people were stabbed, according to NBC New York.
Video from @KobeBryant248 shows the scene still active.
A video of the shooting has circulated on social media, showing the suspect approaching police and officers firing. The suspect appears to be a woman donning a light red shirt and jeans, which is corroborated by radio traffic describing the same.
The NYPD has advised civilians to avoid the area of W 43rd St and 7th Ave due to the ongoing investigation.
Another clip stated that a suspect was shot by police.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at W 43rd St & 7th Ave.
The deceased victim has been identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Reports indicate she was a Vice President at the Bank of America.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.
The officers involved in the shooter were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation, according to an NYPD press release.
The suspect has since been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police have since deemed yesterday's fatal officer-involved shooting and knife attack as "random and unprovoked".
Traffic is closed from West 42nd to West 47th streets as the investigation continues. Avoid the area.
Officers tried to use less-lethal force before firing at the woman, who was armed with two knives and refused to drop them, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
Both the woman who was stabbed and the suspect shot by police have died from their injuries, according to the NYPD via ABC and the New York Times. The man wounded in the stabbing remains in critical condition.
The NYPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting to Citizen but has not confirmed reports that multiple people were stabbed. Multiple outlets report that at least two people were stabbed before officers shot the woman.
At least two people were stabbed, according to NBC New York.
Video from @KobeBryant248 shows the scene still active.
A video of the shooting has circulated on social media, showing the suspect approaching police and officers firing. The suspect appears to be a woman donning a light red shirt and jeans, which is corroborated by radio traffic describing the same.
The NYPD has advised civilians to avoid the area of W 43rd St and 7th Ave due to the ongoing investigation.
Another clip stated that a suspect was shot by police.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at W 43rd St & 7th Ave.
The deceased victim has been identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Reports indicate she was a Vice President at the Bank of America.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.
The officers involved in the shooter were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation, according to an NYPD press release.
The suspect has since been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police have since deemed yesterday's fatal officer-involved shooting and knife attack as "random and unprovoked".
Traffic is closed from West 42nd to West 47th streets as the investigation continues. Avoid the area.
Officers tried to use less-lethal force before firing at the woman, who was armed with two knives and refused to drop them, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
Both the woman who was stabbed and the suspect shot by police have died from their injuries, according to the NYPD via ABC and the New York Times. The man wounded in the stabbing remains in critical condition.
The NYPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting to Citizen but has not confirmed reports that multiple people were stabbed. Multiple outlets report that at least two people were stabbed before officers shot the woman.
At least two people were stabbed, according to NBC New York.
Video from @KobeBryant248 shows the scene still active.
A video of the shooting has circulated on social media, showing the suspect approaching police and officers firing. The suspect appears to be a woman donning a light red shirt and jeans, which is corroborated by radio traffic describing the same.
The NYPD has advised civilians to avoid the area of W 43rd St and 7th Ave due to the ongoing investigation.
Another clip stated that a suspect was shot by police.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at W 43rd St & 7th Ave.
The deceased victim has been identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Reports indicate she was a Vice President at the Bank of America.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.
The officers involved in the shooter were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation, according to an NYPD press release.
The suspect has since been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police have since deemed yesterday's fatal officer-involved shooting and knife attack as "random and unprovoked".
Traffic is closed from West 42nd to West 47th streets as the investigation continues. Avoid the area.
Officers tried to use less-lethal force before firing at the woman, who was armed with two knives and refused to drop them, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
Both the woman who was stabbed and the suspect shot by police have died from their injuries, according to the NYPD via ABC and the New York Times. The man wounded in the stabbing remains in critical condition.
The NYPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting to Citizen but has not confirmed reports that multiple people were stabbed. Multiple outlets report that at least two people were stabbed before officers shot the woman.
At least two people were stabbed, according to NBC New York.
Video from @KobeBryant248 shows the scene still active.
A video of the shooting has circulated on social media, showing the suspect approaching police and officers firing. The suspect appears to be a woman donning a light red shirt and jeans, which is corroborated by radio traffic describing the same.
The NYPD has advised civilians to avoid the area of W 43rd St and 7th Ave due to the ongoing investigation.
Another clip stated that a suspect was shot by police.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at W 43rd St & 7th Ave.
The deceased victim has been identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Reports indicate she was a Vice President at the Bank of America.
The incident is currently being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.
The officers involved in the shooter were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation, according to an NYPD press release.
The suspect has since been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police have since deemed yesterday's fatal officer-involved shooting and knife attack as "random and unprovoked".
Traffic is closed from West 42nd to West 47th streets as the investigation continues. Avoid the area.
Officers tried to use less-lethal force before firing at the woman, who was armed with two knives and refused to drop them, according to officials cited by The New York Times.
Both the woman who was stabbed and the suspect shot by police have died from their injuries, according to the NYPD via ABC and the New York Times. The man wounded in the stabbing remains in critical condition.
The NYPD confirmed an officer-involved shooting to Citizen but has not confirmed reports that multiple people were stabbed. Multiple outlets report that at least two people were stabbed before officers shot the woman.
At least two people were stabbed, according to NBC New York.
Video from @KobeBryant248 shows the scene still active.
A video of the shooting has circulated on social media, showing the suspect approaching police and officers firing. The suspect appears to be a woman donning a light red shirt and jeans, which is corroborated by radio traffic describing the same.
The NYPD has advised civilians to avoid the area of W 43rd St and 7th Ave due to the ongoing investigation.
Another clip stated that a suspect was shot by police.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at W 43rd St & 7th Ave.
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Comments30
Thank you police for doing your job to save others from attack.
Bring back mental asylums. Innocent people are being victim to attacks by people who should be separate from society
@NinoBrownDR Crime is down in nyc my ass. How much is getting reported. MENTAL HEALTH! I work in the city and there’s literally a homeless/ someone struggling with mental health) on every corner. I walk through midtown to get to work and I have to be on my guard.
The police did their job.
Thank you police for doing your job to save others from attack.
Bring back mental asylums. Innocent people are being victim to attacks by people who should be separate from society
@NinoBrownDR Crime is down in nyc my ass. How much is getting reported. MENTAL HEALTH! I work in the city and there’s literally a homeless/ someone struggling with mental health) on every corner. I walk through midtown to get to work and I have to be on my guard.
The police did their job.
Thank you police for doing your job to save others from attack.
Bring back mental asylums. Innocent people are being victim to attacks by people who should be separate from society
@NinoBrownDR Crime is down in nyc my ass. How much is getting reported. MENTAL HEALTH! I work in the city and there’s literally a homeless/ someone struggling with mental health) on every corner. I walk through midtown to get to work and I have to be on my guard.
The police did their job.
Thank you police for doing your job to save others from attack.
Bring back mental asylums. Innocent people are being victim to attacks by people who should be separate from society
@NinoBrownDR Crime is down in nyc my ass. How much is getting reported. MENTAL HEALTH! I work in the city and there’s literally a homeless/ someone struggling with mental health) on every corner. I walk through midtown to get to work and I have to be on my guard.
The police did their job.
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Download Citizen
Thank you police for doing your job to save others from attack.
Bring back mental asylums. Innocent people are being victim to attacks by people who should be separate from society
@NinoBrownDR Crime is down in nyc my ass. How much is getting reported. MENTAL HEALTH! I work in the city and there’s literally a homeless/ someone struggling with mental health) on every corner. I walk through midtown to get to work and I have to be on my guard.
The police did their job.