How can you tell they are intending to shoot you with your own weapon? Was the guy that got shot even trying to disarm the cop?
Mike Brown actually had the police officer's gun in his hand and turned it into the side of the officer before the officer was able to wrestle it away from him, resulting in a single shot fired inside the cruiser.
What the police officer has in his head after having his skull fractured is: "If this guy, twice my size, knocks me out, he can take my own gun -again- and kill me with it."
Tasers and Mace are not magic bullets either, and generally very ineffective against someone who's being aggressive. If someone is already on your skin, you're probably just going to piss him off more by trying to spray him, provided you'll even hit.
Exactly.
Particularly if you miss the taser shot or it doesn't connect right. He'd have to drop the taser, then go for his gun.
21 (maybe 25, can't remember) feet is considered a very dangerous zone when someone is charging you down because they'll be at your throat in a mere moment.
On top of that, police in the US aren't allowed to carry both mace and tasers as mace can be flammable. I remember one case where an officer used both.
The current from the taser lit the mace and the guy went up in flames.
Edit: AntiBlitz called me out.
They can carry both but not use mace before the taser.
Seems like an unnatural progression, taser then mace, but it's possible.