Movies, law enforcement and the handling of active threat engagements


 After watching another episode of Criminal Minds, this one involving a mentally unbalanced, 20 something incest and abuse survivor who was killing suitors that turned out to be less than perfect, I had to comment.  In the show, the FBI shows up while the girl has a pair of gardening shears in her hand, is about to stab another victim who is already bleeding from a head wound and the FBI ( Reed ) talks her out of a violent act by engaging in her delusion.  She willingly gets in the vehicle and off they go...
I've seen this before as I'm sure you have.  In the movies or TV shows, the bad guy is about to engage in a violent act which would potentially kill the person they're involved with whether it's a stabbing or shooting.  This is not a potential or possible or imminent threat, but an active threat, that's about to happen.  The law enforcement personal will then yell " Drop the gun/knife" several times, will try to talk them into giving up or surrendering, and in some cases do the most asinine thing...Lay their gun down in an offer of peaceful, I'm no threat, action. 
The public believes this.... 
The truth is, when faced with an active threat that is about to happen the police will and *should* shoot the bad guy. No discussion, no hesitation. Because in the time it takes for an officer to yell " Drop the gun" the shooter has already shot and possible gotten off a second shot toward the officer. How many times can a person be stabbed in the neck while the officer is trying to de-escalate? 
Movies make the public think that police with try to de-escalate and negotiate and talk the bad guy into giving up his gun and they will if no one else is in immediate danger. 
But if a threat is active, movies fail to convey what needs to be done. 

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