Blaming the victim much? If that roid-addled asshat can’t handle a slightly irritating question (as all public-facing employees get), he should be breaking rocks in prison for a while.
I refuse to show special deference to cops, and talk to them exactly like to your average shop employee. Polite, but not obsequious — no “sir” or “ma’am.” I’m not a serf and cops are not nobles, last I checked. Serfdom for my people ended in 1861 or so (Russian empire) 🙂