Actually, the perps were wearing more than full combat gear. When they were finally brought down, it was a shot to the ankle that found a gap in the armor. Those guys had vests wrapped around their legs, padded, etc.
The police had handguns against that, and need something with more penetration and precision.
Simply put, though, those were city police, and a more rural Sheriff's deputy would likely have had the firepower to end that more quickly. One good shooter with a scoped rifle and a little standoff capability would have been able to make short work of that situation.
That was also an outlier fluke freak one time event. To make law, to equip, and to form tactics on such a basis is exactly how liberals grow government power…..use a single event to trample everyone’s rights.
And another thing: cops in classic blues - the cruiser - the hat, the pistol, maybe a club, and the badge - evokes a certain kind of image, thought process and emotion.
A cop who looks just like our special forces from Iraq or Afghanistan, right down to the pseudo nazi style helmets and Humvee - evokes an entirely different image, thought process, and emotion. Both for LEO and citizen.