The shocking Times Square attack took a deadly turn when police confronted a knife-wielding woman on Monday.
But their first attempt to stop her with a Taser appeared to have little effect.
Pamela Cisneros, 49, was eventually shot and killed by police after she allegedly attacked two people in the middle of one of New York City’s busiest tourist destinations. One victim, 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, later died at a hospital, while a 68-year-old man survived after suffering stab wounds to his abdomen. terrifying attack all the more difficult for the family to understand.
But one detail from the terrifying confrontation has left many people asking the same question: Why didn’t the Taser stop her?
Expert explains why the Taser may have failed
Artur Sadowski, a retired NYPD detective and former Taser expert who helped write the department’s Taser playbook, offered an explanation to The New York Post.
According to Sadowski, the apparent failure was not necessarily caused by a malfunction or an officer using the device incorrectly.
Instead, he said several factors can affect whether a Taser is able to incapacitate someone — including the distance between the probes, the person’s body composition and whether the probes make proper contact.
“The thicker the padding in front of the muscles, the more difficult it is for the taser to get to the muscles and be effective,” Sadowski said following the event.
Tasers are designed to temporarily disrupt muscle control when both probes make the necessary contact with the target. But if one probe fails to make proper contact, the electrical circuit may not be completed.
Footage circulating online appears to show one of the probes striking Cisneros’ purse rather than making direct contact with her body. If that happened, the Taser would not have been able to deliver the intended electrical effect.
Sadowski also pointed to the combination of movement, distance and body composition as factors that can make a Taser less effective in a rapidly unfolding confrontation.
The deadly confrontation in Times Square
Cisneros was reportedly carrying two knives as officers confronted her in the busy tourist area. The mother of three had reportedly struggled with her mental health for years and had several troubling encounters with police, according to her family and and The New York Post.
The 49-year-old Queens native had been battling what her brother described as bipolar disorder, but in recent years, she had been receiving treatment and appeared to have found some stability.
Her family said there had been little indication that she could suddenly become violent. As recently as Saturday, Cisneros reportedly told her loved ones that she was feeling “fine.”
“She never showed any aggressiveness or being violent. I don’t know what happened,” her brother, Patrick Peralta, 59, told The New York Post.
Video shared across social media captured the frightening encounter as officers repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapons and get on the ground.
Instead, she continued moving toward police, according to reports.
After the Taser attempt failed to stop her, officers ultimately opened fire. Cisneros was struck and later died at a nearby hospital.
The incident has since sparked widespread discussion about the challenges officers face when trying to stop an armed person without immediately resorting to lethal force — particularly in a crowded public place like Times Square.
READ MORE
- Doctors warn a smelly belly button may signal a bigger problem
- Melania Trump’s true feelings about Natalie Harp fuel new speculations
