He didn’t listen to the police, was confrontational, and ended up dead.
This is what my parents told me would happen if you did this stuff (confronted the police), and Farmington is a rural western community not unlike where I grew up a few hundred miles away. It’s yes sir(maam) and no sir(maam) and follow their instructions, or expect tragedy.
Maybe the police could have done it better, maybe not, but he is still dead. The information my parents gave me should be spread across the United States to save lives.
My parents told me the same thing in 1975, before they let me drive the car.
Acceptable answers to police questions:
Yes, sir.
No, sir.
I don’t know, sir.
I’m sorry, sir.
And be sure to say “Thank you” if he lets you go with a warning.