They have tasers, which didn't work. Then move to pepper spray to blind the person and batons to subdue them.

Other countries where guns are uncommon but knife attacks are more common they have long hooked poles to capture someone. That's impractical to carry so wouldn't have been available in this situation but it is a tool that can be used when called out to a knife threat.

The problem here is the response doesn't match the crime (fare avoidance) and doesn't match the threat either. If the only solution you have for littering is to blow up a city then its time to step back and rethink the problem.

Three innocent people injured, months of investigation, and millions in lawsuit settlements. This is a failure of the officers but also a failure in training them how to respond.