Bystander video shows Taser attempt failed before gunfire
New York police officers shot a woman who was holding two large kitchen knives in Times Square on Monday, according to bystander video of the incident. The shooting took place outside One Times Square, adjacent to a New York Police Department substation. The building hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration and sits in one of the most heavily touristed and policed locations in the city.
The video, posted on social media, shows a group of at least 10 officers gathered around the woman. At least one officer appeared to try to subdue her with a Taser, but the device did not incapacitate her, the footage shows. The woman then walked quickly toward the officers while waving the knives in front of her. As one officer backed up, he and at least two others pulled their handguns. The sound of gunshots could be heard on the video.
The NYPD closed part of 7th Avenue and warned the public to stay away from the area. The woman’s condition after the shooting was not immediately released by authorities, who were planning a news briefing. Whether the woman had injured anyone was not immediately clear.