Four Minutes Before Times Square Gunfire

Police vehicles and officers block a city street during an active scene — Photo: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock

Newly released New York Police Department body-camera video shows officers fatally shooting a knife-wielding attacker after four minutes of commands and failed stun guns in crowded Times Square, officials said.

Story Highlights

Police say the suspect stabbed two people, killing one, before officers intervened.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers spent four minutes trying to disarm the suspect.
Stun guns were used but did not stop the advance, according to multiple outlets.
Body-camera video captured the confrontation and shooting, the department said.

What Police Say Happened in Times Square

New York Police Department officials said a woman armed with knives stabbed two people near Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street, killing one person and injuring another, before officers confronted her on the street. Police described the attacks as random and unprovoked. The setting was packed with bystanders, heightening the danger. Officers engaged the suspect steps from a police substation while trying to shield nearby crowds from further harm, according to reports.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers gave repeated commands to drop the knives for about four minutes before shots were fired. During the standoff, the suspect refused to comply and made direct threats, according to statements reported by local outlets. Witnesses and reporters said officers tried to stop her with stun guns, but she kept moving with the knives in hand. Officials said the officers acted under immediate threat in a dense public area.

How Officers Escalated Force

Accounts across several newsrooms describe the same sequence: verbal commands, attempted less-lethal force, the suspect’s continued advance, then gunfire when the threat closed distance. Police say officers first tried non-lethal options to avoid using their firearms. When stun guns did not stop the suspect, officers fired, striking her as she moved toward them with knives. New York Police Department policy requires internal review after such incidents, and officials said body-camera video recorded the encounter.

Officials publicly defended the officers’ actions as consistent with training and necessary given the immediacy of the threat in a crowded zone. That defense stresses three points that departments highlight in many knife incidents: the commands to disarm, the failed stun gun attempts, and the heavy foot traffic nearby. These details often frame how the public understands the split-second decision to use deadly force while civilians stand only yards away.

The Victims and the Setting

Police identified one victim as a Bank of America vice president who died after the stabbing, and said another 68-year-old victim survived with injuries. Reporters described a chaotic scene in the heart of Times Square as officers tried to contain the threat amid tourists, commuters, and workers. That location matters. Crowded sidewalks limit space to create distance or set barriers. Any further attack could have hit random people within seconds, according to officials’ accounts.

The New York Police Department and city leaders said they will release body-camera video consistent with policy, which aims to show the public what unfolded in critical incidents. The agency says video helps explain timelines, commands, and force choices. In this case, officials point to the four-minute window, the reported threats, and the failed stun guns as the core facts behind the decision to fire. An investigation is underway, as is standard after officer-involved shootings.

Why This Case Reflects a Wider Pattern

This Times Square case fits a common pattern seen in major city use-of-force events. Police highlight early orders to disarm, the use of less-lethal tools, and the risk to bystanders, all to explain why deadly force was used when a suspect closed distance with a weapon. Cities also lean on body-camera programs to show the sequence. New York City has moved to faster releases in critical incidents to build trust, within policy limits on active investigations.