10 Things You Learn Re-Watching Watchmen Episode 1
2. Panda Is On The "Buzz" Desk
During the traffic stop in the opening scene, a uniformed police officer gets back in his vehicle as he requests permission to use draw his firearm. When he finds out that Panda is the one on duty, he frantically asks to talk to someone else before being patched through. The request takes long enough that the officer is defenseless when he's shot by the Kavalry member.
Not to mention, even as Panda authorizes the firearm, the locking mechanism fails to disengage three times before finally releasing the weapon. It's truly no wonder that the cop didn't trust him.
The second time you watch, you'll have a masked face to put to the voice on the other side of the radio. Panda is the same character who hesitates to permit the use of firearms for the raid on the Kavalry compound. Again, the crowd is visibly and audibly disappointed that the decision is left to him.
Is Panda's gun policy due to incompetence, an uncompromising moral stance, or is he actually playing for the other team?