People try to kill themselves by shooting at cops all the time. They even have a phrase for it. It's called "Suicide by cop." Sometimes the person attempting this is successful other times not.
Police are trained to deal with situations like this.
They also deal with barricade situations as well and the perp usually walks out with his life.
Police are taught from the academy to use non lethal force at ALL TIMES. Now, I understand that in the heat of a gun fight the criminal usually ends up dead. It is the natural outcome. However, when you have someone cornered the SOP is to wait them out. Whether they wish to die or not. Wait long enough and they sometimes kill themselves. Most of the time they give up or give out.
In this case, the police were dealing with a barricade situation. The police chose to burn the cabin down. In essence, they chose to act as a lynch mob exacting vigilante justice. Period.
Many times they are successful, aren't they. Shooting at ANYONE and thinking they will not return fire is foolish.
They also deal with barricade situations as well and the perp usually walks out with his life.
Rarely are police confronted with a psychopathic killer like Dorner.
Wait long enough and they sometimes kill themselves
Or kill another innocent person. Why take a chance?