Police shoot knife-wielding woman after four-minute standoff

Police in New York shot and killed a 49-year-old woman after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square before refusing repeated orders to drop two knives, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon along Seventh Avenue near West 42nd Street, one of the busiest areas of Manhattan, with thousands of commuters, tourists and families in the area at the time.

According to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, officers confronted Pamela Cisneros after she allegedly attacked the two victims within about 20 seconds.

The first victim, a 32-year-old woman, was stabbed in the abdomen and later died in hospital. A 68-year-old man was also stabbed in the abdomen but remained in stable condition.

Tisch said officers spent about four minutes trying to get Cisneros to surrender her weapons before using force.

She said the officers gave her “numerous commands to drop the knives,” but she refused to comply.

Cisneros was quoted as telling the officers: “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you. I will kill you.”

Police initially deployed Tasers, but they were ineffective. Officers then opened fire, killing Cisneros.

Authorities described the stabbing as appearing to be a “random and unprovoked attack.”

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the victims and the suspect were taken to Bellevue Hospital following the incident.

Mamdani also said an internal investigation would be conducted, with body-camera footage from the responding officers expected to be released to the public.

Tisch defended the officers’ response, saying they acted according to their training after the woman allegedly continued approaching them while armed with two knives.

“Our officers did exactly what they’re trained to do, and that is to protect themselves when a perpetrator, in this case, a woman, is coming at them armed with and waving two knives,” she said.

Police said Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the NYPD.

The attack has raised fresh concerns over safety in Times Square, a major tourist destination that attracts large crowds throughout the day.