[I see my hands]

"if he can convince the cops that the perp turned the gun in his direction. He might be okay"

The cops are not relevant and needn't be convinced nor spoken to. The issue is if his lawyer can convince the prosecutor or if not then the jury.

[A_perfect_lady]

I actually don’t know much about the legal system, but I thought cops initially make the decision about whether or not to arrest, and if they don’t, the chances of being charged later just seem lessened, unless they treat it as a homicide to be investigated. Do cops have any frontline authority in how such a matter is classified (self-defense as opposed to murder) or do all such matters by-pass them and go directly to someone higher, like the D.A.?