Why Tasers sometimes fail to stop suspects — and what weight has to do with it

Multiple Taser deployments failed to stop Pamela Cisneros, 49, during a roughly four-minute standoff in Times Square last Monday, after she allegedly stabbed two people. The attack left a 32-year-old woman dead and a 68-year-old man wounded.

“As multiple officers discharged Tasers, which proved to be ineffective, the subject continued to advance toward our officers with the knives,” Jessica Tisch, New York City police commissioner, said in a news conference that evening. 

When the Tasers failed to subdue Cisneros — who stated, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you” — two officers opened fire, striking her. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Tisch confirmed at the press conference that the suspect had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, with one incident in 2018 and another in 2019.

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that body composition can affect the Taser’s effectiveness.

“Tasers are much more effective for muscle than fat because muscle conducts electricity much better, and the Taser delivers a high voltage,” he said. “In an obese person, it is more difficult to find an area that conducts electricity.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Axon, the NYPD and obesity organizations requesting comment.