I thought the reasons for the decision not to shoot were related to doubts about how many gunmen there were, and the possibility of harming one or more of the hostages if the police missed the gunmen, or didn't immediately render him incapable of firing.
Was a very delicate situation for the cops I would've thought. Don't think the police were hindered by the legal system, only by the situation itself.....trying to avoid any loss of life?
Could be wrong, but that was my understanding of the police actions.
