COURTESY JORGE VISLA MOMENTS BEFORE POLICE SHOOT

The video likely worked due to its dramatic and newsworthy subject matter, capturing a tense and significant event in a public space. The bystander perspective adds a sense of immediacy and authenticity.

The video shows the moments before police officers shot a woman armed with two knives in Times Square. The scene is captured from a bystander's perspective, with police officers visible and a crowd gathered.