Unarmed Policing

[Sundae]

Also, immediate reports of the incident suggest that the two PCs would not have had time to draw arms anyway, given that they were walking into a trap.
This may change as they look into it further.

But to set a trap to kill two random members of the Police Service knowing he would not be able to evade capture suggests that the man was disassociated from the consequences of his actions. Not the death penalty nor armed police would have been a deterrent.

First time I ever saw guns IRL was waiting for a flight to Cuba at Stansted. Well, except from those carried by soldiers in London. A flight was coming in from Israel and the airport was being monitored. I found it very disturbing. I'd watched 12 Monkeys.