Taser Ineffectiveness in NYC Standoff Raises Questions About Obesity and Body Fat

In a roughly four-minute incident on Times Square, police discharged multiple Tasers at Pamela Cisneros, 49, after she allegedly stabbed a 32-year-old woman who died and wounded a 68-year-old man. Despite the repeated shots, the Tasers did not incapacitate her, and she continued toward officers brandishing knives, declaring she would rather kill them than surrender. Officers then shot her, and she died at Bellevue Hospital.

The episode prompted scrutiny of why Tasers sometimes fail, with experts citing clothing, probe placement, substance abuse and especially the suspect’s obesity, which can impede electrical conductivity. Retired sergeant Steve Keller explained that a thick layer of body fat or a probe striking a jacket can prevent the required connection between probes. Medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel added that muscle conducts electricity far better than fat, making it harder to find an effective target on an obese person. Police commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Cisneros had prior mental-health encounters with the NYPD.