Less dangerous than a gunshot wound. Tasers fill a niche in those circumstances where grappling with a suspect would be dangerous for the officer, but in which a suspect could be reasonably subdued without resorting to lethal force, when, as in this instance, the suspect was threatening officers with a knife.
Police are trained to go one up when encountering a resisting suspect.
Unarmed suspect.... Baton or Taser
Suspect with knife... Pistol.
This is necessary because cops arent allowed to turn and run from a threat.
We are expected by the victims to win...
My old Supervisor use to say
If you find yourself in a fair fight...you F’d up!