No job is worth risking permanent injury or death when there are other options available.   If the police officer was injured or killed, I'm sure his/her family would be asking.. why didn't he/she just shoot him?   Although mentally ill, these people should be told that threatening a police officer or ANYONE can result in their death and if they know that this is a possibility, and they do it, then all bets are off.  Sure, it we be nice if every officer had a lasso and could just tie up all these people and check them in at the mental hospital, however that would be living in a dream world.  In addition, I think families should be better educated on how to take care their mentally ill family members.   These mentally ill people are a huge challenge for everyone, and unfortunately, it turns ugly when they confront people with guns.