Watch some police documentaries from the UK - I'd recommend the BBC's "Traffic Cops" or Channel 4's "24 Hours in Police Custody".

Even accounting for the presence of cameras, what's really striking is the politeness of British officers. The whole character of an interaction changes when it starts with a cheery "alright mate, do you know why I've pulled you over?" rather than "license and registration, keep your hands where I can see them".

A confrontation starts long before a punch is thrown or a weapon is drawn. In the UK, there's a doctrine of verbal de-escalation and an acceptance of risk that just isn't there in the US. If you treat everyone you encounter as a deadly threat and escalate your response accordingly, it quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.