The G36C's have got the penetrating power but not always the right tool to do the right job. If you look in the Sun the following day you will see a chap in full armour heading towards camera with an MP5.
9mm will take down most people assuming not in body armour or off thier t*ts on drugs, the blood loss will usually get them thou'

As for the sniper comments LOL! they are called snipers for a reason and are often best placed high up or at distance to get the kill shot at the right time using the right weapon of the right calibre. a 7.62 round is perfectly shaped, high velocity round with real stopping power over a distance.

a .50 cal would be overkill

 

Is there any reason why they couldn't just have shot his hands off rather than go for the full deader than dead thing

Presume they are pretty good with these guns

 

At home with the Habgoods...

 

at close range a shotgun is simply too powerful to mess with, the ballistics are far over the toys the police have. I'd not want to have entered a house with a guy with one and its the most likely reason for using a sniper (if one was used) then making absolutely sure he couldn't use it. Its a pretty tragic situation and god knows what mental issues the guy had