Those are great questions. Wish I knew the answers.
All I do know is what I’d have done: I would have treated it as a self defense situation and dealt with legal ramifications afterwards.
If you really believe it's a matter of life or death, that staying put is suicide, that suicide is either a mortal sin, or at least presently unwanted by you, and you are philosophically self aware you have two possibilities. Either your belief is right and that going forward is the moral choice, or that you are delusional. Delusional people by definition (my taught definition was 'fixed false beliefs') act with their delusions! Their choices might not be moral, but if they survive and come to their senses they can plead temporary insanity honestly.
As for the cop he might honestly think that I'm being very stupid and that my stupidity can receive the death penalty. But that sentence for stupidity is self enforcing. No state action required. So to him, "Get out of my, perhaps damned, way."