It was an unfortunate incident. But I will give the benefit of the doubt to the cops. Perhaps they were unaware that the lady had schizophrenia. What you are supposed to do, when someone charges at you armed with a baseball bat?
Police officers must possess self-defense techniques and if they are attacked 66 year old woman, they had no problem to disarm and neutralize. In this case, there is excess of self-defense and police must answer for it. Now let train in prison.
How much time they had to react? It depends on the experience and skills of the cops. Perhaps the cops in question were a bunch of inexperienced newbies? Ideally, they would have used a taser. But it is a tough call.
React to what? A 66 year old woman, in her own apartment, having commited no crime. A bunch of guys bang into her apartment and address her aggressively. She has been robbed multiple times, probably including by police.
Would it be too much to tell the police to step back, just a few paces.
They were attacking her, she was not attacking them.