You don’t think asking the Police Chief qualifies as research?
The question wasn’t about the law, it was about the status of the citizen in the eyes of the police.
Who else would the news organization ask?
It's the timing of the question in the report. The media can't wait to poke holes in a pro-armed citizen story so this is the first question they have, investigate the hero. I think I could wait until the police announce their summary as it's their prerogative.