In this section, “manufacturer” means a person who possesses a federal license to engage in the business of manufacturing firearms or ammunition for sale or distribution. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a law enforcement agency seeking to dispose of a handgun owned by the agency shall: destroy the handgun; sell, exchange, or transfer the handgun to another law enforcement agency for official use by that agency; sell the handgun to a retired police employee in accordance with § 2–415(c) of this article; sell the handgun to the law enforcement officer to whom the handgun was assigned; or sell, exchange, or transfer the handgun to a manufacturer. If a law enforcement officer is killed or dies in the performance of duty, a law enforcement agency may transfer the handgun of the deceased officer to the next of kin of the deceased officer, if the requirements of Title 5, Subtitle 1 of this article relating to firearms applications are met.