Double J is right, we often make the mistake of assuming police officers are knowledgable in firearms just because they carry one. While they may have been trained and be proficient with what they carry, for many that is the extent of their knowledge. I remember watching a COPS episode where an officer was trying to determine if a weapon he confiscated from a car was loaded and I was cringing at how unsafe he was as he fumbled with it in front of the camera. Can't remember what type of pistol it was, but the magazine finally just fell out on the ground. I don't think he ever cleared the chamber.
