Just once I’d like these court peoples to act as though it was the other way around, as in—
What would they have done if a policeman had been injured by a poison trap set for a predator animal by a citizen?
You know the answer to that.
The test you propose is outstanding. It's essential, I think, to understand the rule and role of law. The law is supposed to "swing both ways," so swapping parties, or putting yourself in one shoe THEN THE OTHER, is a good way to evaluate a rule of law. "What if this was applied to ME?" (or my guy).
The government always gets a break in its own courts. That's just the way it is.
See you in prison.