Why did he shoot?
Why would you shoot, when you can't see who it is that you're shooting at?
shareBecause he tought his partner would snitch him. Come on man...
shareHis hesitation caused another cop to get shot minutes before then the gunman ran in that direction so it's also possible he just assumed it was the gunman and didn't want to risk letting him get away/shoot someone again. At the end of the film based on Pacino's character's choices it's clear he didn't actually value his reputation over innocent lives.
shareI don't think so. Why would he be tormented if he meant to do it?
His hesitation caused another cop to get shot minutes before
Nailed it!
Maybe subconsciously with an ambiguous figure who could be the killer or Hap who he had come to hate, he took that risk unthinkingly. It's funny how Finch recalls what he sees and says "I saw pretty clearly, didn't I?" and also asks if he was relieved or guilty. But he certainly doesn't seem relieved, so I think it was an accident.
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Exactly. The situation was like one of those friendly fire incidents in e.g. Vietnam: in tense situations (here: fog, being shot at) sometimes you have no other choice than to shoot.
And it was a remake, so we know for a fact that he did not mean to kill his partner. That background story (which wasn't part of the original movie) was only to make him suspicious (in a remake you can usually change the details but not the core of the story).
The ending, I think, makes it clear he didn't mean to kill Hap. Yes, he was worried about what might happen to his cases if Hap speaks with IA. But the fact that he prevented Ellie from disposing the bullet that proved he'd killed Hap indicates, to me, it wasn't intentional.
With his dying breath he chose NOT to have someone cover for him.
Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment. -Michael Corleone