They do this all the time. About everyone and everything.
Look at other articles that are headlines and not about cops then read the article. It’s called clickbait.

In an age where there are millions of "news" disseminators going for eye balls, clicks, or whatever the latest term is the tactic hasn't changed,

We are inundated with more access, more supply of sensationalist or incendiary headlines.

The folks that don't open the articles and find the truth can't handle the truth, so they don't look...

Obligatory Dirty Laundry

But, but, if the headline read, “Dirtbag who ran from cops, shot at them, and hit innocent bystander perishes from officer’s return fire.” it won’t hook nearly as many readers, and it might leave folks with an off-agenda message. Same for, “Shitbird takes well-deserved dirt nap.”

Gotta choose those headlines carefully.

Many years ago an old timer once told me: don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.

A news headline is the definition of click bait.

The media knows that most people only read the headlines, then form and opinion and react before reading the contents.