Have you ever taken a police class, or done ride-alongs with the cops? These guys were bending over backwards not to shoot the guy.
If he hadn’t been first holding his hand behind his back, then later trying to reach for his waist under his shirt, I suspect they would have found another way of subduing him instead of shooting. Since he gave every indication of having a weapon, he took the less-lethal choice away from them when he then started advancing on them while still holding his hand behind his back.
