I don't see that this is necessarily a bad decision. Let's say they did 200k in damage. What is the life of a suspect or a cop worth? 6-8 mill is usually the assumption. If there is a 3% chance it saved a life, then it's worth it.
A life is worth more than the individual's lifetime earnings. The 6-8 million dollar figure is used by numerous government agencies and is derived from the revealed danger premium associated with various lines of employment.