Maybe the author was unlucky and the responding unit was corrupt. They thought he was a rich guy, so maybe they were trying to ask for a bribe, without coming out and saying it in case he had a hidden cell phone recording audio?

No bribe, they give you as much brutality and poor treatment as they think they can get away with.

Then again, bribing the police is probably a crime worth a really long sentence, so I wouldn't have risked it even if I'd had the money.