EXACTLY - he was probably gobbing off at the coppers and he got what was coming to him.

if he was being OK with the coppers he'd have had no reason NOT to approach them and talk to them face to face. - he was obviously giving them shit.

i've seen enough "cops on camera" and "Street crime UK" to know that Piss heads on a night out are amongst the worst individuals to deal with, it's magnified when they are squaddies cos they think they are a law unto themselves.