An officer is not going to ask a suspect if a firearm is loaded if it's being pointed in their direction. If thier lives were in immediate danger by having a shotgun pointed at them, then it's a bad day to be that intruder. You point a weapon only at what you intend to shoot whether it is loaded or not. I am glad that no one was hurt, but if that shotgun was ever pointed in the direction of the officers, then they would have been justified in discharging their weapons in order to defend themselves.