That, though, was not a riot in the ordinary sense of the term. It was an uprising, a revolt.
The difference is somewhat, perchance largely, to be found in the specific conduct of the veterans: who responded in an orderly, goal oriented fashion with some tactical acumen and were not running amuck threatening the lives and property of ordinary citizens.
Rioters, otoh, go about acting as a naught but a mob and show little tactical sense or discipline.
Had the veterans been rioters the Sherrif would have possibly carried the day.
These people rioting and looting, especially if rioting and looting within their own communities, deserve no quarter from those whose lives and property that they threaten. They can be opposed with minimal numbers precisely because they are riotous mobs, and the claim I’ve occasionally heard that resisters would be badly outnumbered is laid bare as bravado for precisely that reason.
One might convince a line of soldiers that you having 5 bullets left is no great detriment to them overtaking you because of their discipline ... but discipline among rioters is likely like herding cats....