I’d probably be one of those people.

We live in a country in which the part of police power that is respected is their ability to use a firearm.

Where we should be is a country that respects the police because they are the only ones authorized to use force, which doesn’t always include using a weapon. Instead, in a number of states everyone can use force, just like the police, How do you fear someone (which is what you mean by respect in this case) if you can do what they can? And why would the cops accept limits that don’t exist on the general population?