There are still these things called traps, right? And sleepy darts?

As you will see if you read the article at the above link, it is not unheard of that a family pack of coyotes lose their fear of humans and begin to behave much more aggressively, even attacking humans. In fact my sister and her husband, who live in Broomfield, watched helplessly from their deck one snowy winter day as a coyote raced full-speed toward their two young granddaughters who were playing less than a hundred yards away in the neighborhood common area behind their house. Fortunately the coyote stopped the attack a few feet away from the girls when the older one stood up and screamed. At least three other children in the area were not so lucky, and were attacked and bitten.

Certainly it would be ideal if the USDA had communicated with the City of Davis before shooting the coyotes, but once the group of coyotes was demonstrating aggressive behavior, prompt action was warranted.