Imagine a scene from any police show. Police officer is outside home of a suspect of some random crime. Suspect sees officer, starts running. Officer give chase, pulls gun. Due to no clear line of sight or presence of others that can be injured, officer heroically decides not to shoot. Story moves along.

How many times have people seen the above without any quesiton of what is actually being displayed?

Granted, this is fictional and not the real police, but it has become normal to expect such behaviour is American copy shows. No one will think that there is something wrong with the actions of the police in the above scenario.