Why can’t they ever just drive a car? In fact, just yesterday I was following a story and a police officer corrected herself in a press briefing after saying the suspect was driving a silver something-or-other to saying they were “operating” it instead. Especially nonsensical since this was just one dude; it’s not like he was attending to the sunroof and mirrors from the passenger seat or something.
What distinction are the police trying to make here? Is there some internal police lingo where it matters to them somehow? Right now all I can think is that it’s some appeal to the fallacy of argument by prestigious jargon, where they’re keeping control by seeming to know way more about the situation than you do.