Today, gun-mounted ultra-bright tactical lights are so common, that if one is shined on you after midnight, from inside your screened porch, inside your 7 foot wall, then you have a reasonable fear that a bad guy is about to shoot you.
Look at any pistol ads in gun mags. Half of pistols today come with rails for mounting these lights.
If you wait, you may be shot first. That's what I'd be thinking. If it was police, I'd have been expecting to hear, "Police! Search warrant!" If not, I'm thinking its bad guys, and it would be a classic, "I was in fear for my life."
Since home-invaders enter yelling 'police'. Come to my door politely or risk being shot (tactical furniture 870, 2 birdshot, 2 00, slugs). It is my HOME and I don't 'rent' from the government. An armed society is a polite society.
In miami it is VERY common.
Miami had a HUGE rash of break and enter GANGS which did EXACTLY that. They would bank on the doors and shine flashlights screaming "open up police emergency!"
When the homeowner opened the door, the homeowner was beaten or killed and the place ransaked and robbed.
so yes burglars have been doing it for YEARS.