I don't think liability would have been an issue in this case. The cops may have been fired for disobeying regulations, but they would probably be able to be hired elsewhere. I guess the cops in these out of the way places are not made of very stern stuff.
Honestly, I believe these cops just didn't have the courage.
Nonetheless, a years-long campaign to vilify the police is bound to have consequences. Cops will increasingly distance themselves from the communities they're hired to protect and instead, insulate themselves among their own.