New York City police released body camera footage Friday showing officers spending roughly four minutes trying to persuade a knife-wielding woman to surrender outside One Times Square before they opened fire, ending a confrontation that followed a fatal stabbing spree in the heart of Manhattan.
The video captures officers pleading with 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros to drop two knives and «just breathe» as she refused repeated commands, told police she was «tired of this world» and warned that they would have to kill her. The encounter unfolded minutes after authorities say Cisneros stabbed two people in unprovoked attacks near West 41st and West 42nd Streets.
According to police, the violence began when Cisneros stabbed a 68-year-old man near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, seriously injuring him. She then walked north carrying a knife in each hand and, about 20 seconds later, fatally stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, near West 42nd Street. The 68-year-old man survived after suffering a stab wound to the abdomen.
Transit officers encountered Cisneros outside One Times Square about a minute later and began ordering her to drop the knives while attempting to engage her in conversation. Additional officers arrived and joined the effort to de-escalate the situation. In the footage, one officer tells Cisneros, «There's a lot to live for,» adding, «The world is hard. Especially New York City. Trust me, we all suffer. But this is not the way.»
When an officer asked whether she believed in God, Cisneros replied, «No. Not anymore.» Officers repeatedly assured her they wanted to help, saying, «We're trying to help you.» The encounter grew more tense when Cisneros told officers, «You're going to have to kill me,» and moments later added, «Either that or I'm going to kill all of you.»
Police continued ordering her to «drop the knife» and «just breathe» as she refused to surrender. Around 4:29 p.m., officers deployed Tasers after Cisneros began waving both knives. When the devices failed to stop her and she advanced toward officers with the blades pointed at them, police opened fire, striking her. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Both knives were recovered at the scene.
Piacenti, a Bank of America executive and Fordham Law graduate, had returned to work just days earlier after spending five months on maternity leave caring for her newborn daughter. She died from her injuries. Police have described the attacks as random and unprovoked.
The NYPD said Cisneros had documented mental health-related encounters with the department in 2018 and 2019 but no prior arrest record. There was no indication the attack was related to terrorism. The department's Force Investigation Division continues to investigate the shooting before the case is presented to the Use of Force Review Board.