What a wonderful story and conclusion! I am in awe.
There are times I have been stopped (well, usually on my skateboard) by security guards in odd areas, and felt upset and helpless. If it were to happen on my bike, I can now reference your story in terms of what to do next. Super empowering.
Power trips are annoying. I'm happy to say (knock on wood) that I've only seen it by private fuzz and not police officers. Once we brought a puppy to the Santa Monica Pier carnival area, and a policeman stopped us with a stern voice. We stopped in fear, and he next said "Now, come over here and let me pet this cute little puppy." After a few minutes of sweetness, he kindly told us animals weren't allowed in the carnival, but we could bring him to the rest of the pier.