Comment: I'm not sure that statistics matter when it come to the police side.  Perception matters, and given the stories that about officers being assaulted and killed by people walking up to them (it happens), I expect that it is perfectly natural for officers to fear this.  This is especially so in the US where there is a real possibility the person approaching you is armed.  As these cases show, some police seem quick to shoot to kill as a reflex.  That's okay when someone it trying to hurt you, but it isn't okay when it is clearly an overreaction.