Why Tasers Failed to Stop the Times Square Stabber: Expert Explains

A retired NYPD Taser expert says body fat, erratic movement, and a purse blocked the electrical current. One victim, a Bank of America executive, died from her wounds.

Why the Tasers Deployed Against Pamela Cisneros Did Not Work

Body fat, a dangling purse, and erratic movement — those are the main reasons NYPD officers could not bring down Times Square stabber Pamela Cisneros with their Tasers before she was fatally shot, according to an expert cited by NY Post Metro.

Artur Sadowski, a retired NYPD detective who wrote the department's Taser training playbook, told the outlet that Cisneros, 49, was able to push through multiple deployments because officers could not achieve solid probe contact with her body.

"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.

A Taser only causes neuromuscular incapacitation — a temporary shutdown of muscle control — when both probes make simultaneous, solid contact. According to Sadowski, the distance between the officers and the swaying, waddling suspect made that nearly impossible.

One probe also struck Cisneros's purse, which was wrapped across her body. That contact broke the electrical circuit in that instance, preventing any incapacitating effect.

"Even when probes hit, a narrow spread, thick clothing, or body fat can limit the electrical effect," said Sadowski, a former master instructor for Taser manufacturer Axon. He noted that areas such as the back and backs of the legs contain less fat and allow Tasers to work more reliably.

At least one probe appeared to strike her in the midsection. "She may have felt pain or muscle cramping in her abdomen but not enough to stop her from advancing," Sadowski said.

He estimated that at least three Tasers were discharged within approximately one second, with a possible fourth fired as officers shot her.

The Attack on West 41st Street

Camera footage reviewed by NY Post Metro shows Cisneros near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue on Monday, holding two knives raised above her head moments after she attacked two people. She ignored repeated orders from officers to drop the weapons and began swinging the blades erratically before being shot when she charged at police.

Cisneros, who has a documented history of mental illness, died from her gunshot wounds at Bellevue Hospital, officials confirmed.

Victims

One of the two people she stabbed was Erin Piacenti, 32, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School who worked as an executive at Bank of America. Sources told NY Post Metro that Piacenti died from her injuries. Social media posts indicate she had celebrated her second wedding anniversary just weeks earlier, in August.

The second victim, a 68-year-old man, was stabbed in the abdomen. His condition was not specified in the report.

Source: NY Post Metro