The question has drawn attention because a retired NYPD detective and Taser expert, Artur Sadowski, suggested that body composition may have been one possible factor in why the Tasers did not appear to incapacitate Pamela Cisneros. He also pointed to other possibilities, including erratic movement and one probe apparently striking her handbag.

However, it has not been established that obesity prevented the Taser from working. The New York Attorney General’s preliminary account confirms that three officers deployed Tasers with no apparent effect before Cisneros allegedly moved toward them, after which two officers fired their service weapons. The officer-involved d3ath remains under investigation.

The final moments of Pamela Cisneros’ confrontation with NYPD officers in Times Square have raised questions about why multiple Taser deployments failed to stop her.

According to New York Attorney General investigators, three officers discharged Tasers after encountering Cisneros on Seventh Avenue. The devices appeared to have no effect, and Cisneros allegedly continued moving toward officers while holding knives. Two officers then fired their service weapons. The Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident, stressing that the initial account remains subject to change.

One Taser expert, retired NYPD detective Artur Sadowski, offered several possible explanations for the apparent failure. He pointed to the difficulty of maintaining effective probe contact while the subject was moving, the distance between officers and Cisneros, and a probe that appeared to strike her handbag rather than establishing the necessary contact.

Sadowski also suggested that body composition could have been a contributing factor, explaining that a thicker layer of tissue between the probes and underlying muscles can potentially reduce the effectiveness of the electrical current. However, this has not been established as the definitive reason the Tasers failed. It was one of several possible factors identified by the expert.

The incident remains under investigation as officials reconstruct exactly what happened during those final moments. The New York Attorney General’s Office has emphasized that the publicly released sequence represents preliminary information and could change as investigators review additional evidence.

SOURCES:
New York Attorney General — Office of Special Investigation