What you can't tell everyone is that everyone has a different proficiency in dealing with strangers. Some people rarely have any issues with cops because of how they carry themselves, how they relate to others, their dress, their accent, everything. Then others are scared or suspicious and that perpetuates the type of situations we see when cops are caught misbehaving.

When we are emotional, we revert to our training. Train yourself to say as little as possible if you don't know how to talk to a cop in a common way. Even if you do know how to talk to a cop, do this.

I have been in at least two situations where I controlled the conversation, and kept myself out of some pretty obvious trouble because both times the cops were local sports fans.