Man with gun stops man with cleaver.

Handguns *can* serve to preserve human life, as well as end it, both simultaneously even.

Read the story here.

That policemen had every right to shoot in my opinion. Maybe it had been better if he'd used a tazer or alike, but that doesn't change the fact that in order to protect his life (and probably others lives as well) he should have the right as well as the ability to take the life of an attacker who cannot be reasoned with.