POLICE WERE WRONG TO SHOOT PAMELA CISNERO
By: Derek Varsalona
As a person with a mental disability of short-term memory loss, I understand the stress that people face with mental challenges. This week on Labor Day, a woman named Pamela Cisneros was fatally shot by police after wielding a knife in a Times Square stabbing rampage.
I understand that the police have a very hard job and need to make a split-second decision to protect the public. I do not think this person should have been shot to death by the police, but I am not blaming them for making a split-second decision to save the lives of people in New York City. Yes, there needs to be a quick and speedy trial on the matter, and yes, this is a criminal offense by the police officer who shot Pamela.
The fact of the matter is that we do not do enough to help people with mental illnesses and/or mental challenges within the system. Yes, for justice, this police officer who perpetrated the crime needs to be brought up on charges, arrested for murder, and a public trial must be shown on TV and throughout the media. As always, comments accepted.
Source: Ed Shanahan, "What We Know About Deadly Events in Time Square." The New York Times.com New York City: September 2, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/nyregion/what-we-know-about-the-deadly-events-in-times-square.html