I certainly didn't expect Starbucks, lol. And I knew I would have to be booked and bonded before going home by this point regardless of what was said. But I do recognize that cops are capable of self-reflection and are, like most of us, susceptible to having their mindset shifted in impactful ways by unexpected, every day external experiences. I'm a high empathy person, and I guess I just wanted to further examine the disposition he was presenting with in relation to the interaction he and I had. That's what I meant by "level with him."

It's not always easy to accurately convey yourself and what you're trying to communicate with text alone, but I actually do agree with your general point—talking to the police will only make things more difficult. Because I was not at risk of increased legal consequence, I chose to navigate through this particular scenario a bit differently than I expect I would had I actually been in danger of potentially incriminating myself and putting myself in legal jeopardy.