I wonder what kind of B.S. story we'd be hearing now if there'd been an accidental discharge and some kid was wounded or dead because of it. Something along the lines of "The perpatrator, a male, pointed a #3 lead pencil at the officer, who defended himself by firing fifteen rounds, striking the attacker once in the chest..."
My personal favorite is "furtive move to the waistband." That'll teach those nerds to wear their TI89s in a belt pouch.