Indeed. The only thing in this story that really disturbed me is that the officer apparently went for his gun immediately. This whole situation could, and should, go in a friendly manner, "like a reasonable human being having a conversation". The US really needs to work on reducing the amount of fear in the society - among both general population and law enforcement officers.
I feel that this is a pretty important part of the story. Here's someone that clearly has real anxiety around exactly this situation and this very agressive move is made almost immediately.
In my opinion, not only is it made to intimidate, but also puts his life in danger. What if he reached for his wallet without warning the police (something I could easily see myself doing)? He may very well catch a bullet before the officer realizes what he's really trying to do.
