Getting out of his pick up was not the best thing to do, but it was NOT an escalation. Simply getting out to discuss the issues.
The other guy? Well....FAFO!
Unless there was accident/injury already - there's no reason to "discuss issues" - that's escalation.
If the driver behaved aggressively or violently when he got out then it would be escalation.
Since he didn't, it wasn't.
And that's the way I'd have looked at in my law enforcement days.
In defense of your position I can see some karen type leo in one of our more liberal schit hole cities agreeing with you.
