While I of course agree that you should be able to exercise your first amendment (and other constitutional rights) around police officers, and I would also like

While I of course agree that you should be able to exercise your first amendment (and other constitutional rights) around police officers, and I would also like to see fewer officers carrying deadly weapons, I don't see why they should be related? If you exercise your legal rights and the police beat you with a baton, or cuff you and kneel on your neck for several minutes, or just detain you for the maximum number of hours without charging you, that's still a meaningful problem.