Article leaves out a LOT of relevant info about Perry's stated desire to kill protestors, the witnesses all stating that the rifle was never raised, and the state of the rifle when recovered (no round chambered, safety ON).
Perry has insisted he was acting in self defense when he shot Foster, asserting that he had no choice but to open fire with his handgun when Foster pointed the AK-47 he was legally carrying at Perry.
The Black Panthers didn't point their guns at the police.
They would only shift the guns from one arm to the other and temporarily have the barrel pointed in the direction of the pigs for a fleeting second. They knew that aiming it at the pigs would get them executed. Using guns was for them a tactic of intimidation and deterrence. If you're gonna arm yourself against the State, be smart.