yea, he should have been shot the first time the knife was pointed or raised over his head towards an officer.
in the US they are starting to implement other things besides tasers and gas to stop people like this w/o killing them...though, it's certainly debatable whether someone like this has not foresworn any 'civil' rights.
beyond the correct assertion that forward aggression and pre-emptive striking is a good way to 'work a crowd', the tape is too jumpy to talk about his technique.
but, yea, knives are scary and unless someone trains for it, as these cops obviously didn't, you can hold people off by fear alone.
"George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."
"If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"
"Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"
It's simpler than you think.
I could be completely wrong"