Neither the Russians nor the Americans were the cleverest people, or the most experienced, in the world that followed 1945. The French were rather more civilized, the British more knowledgeable, and even the Italians at times more practical. But if you have the ships, the guns, and the money, too, cleverness or experience is not really necessary. Even a reasonable amount of blundering can be survived.
When the risk level becomes too high in the presence of armed police officers, you need to start shouting as loud as you can to the people around you to alert them that you are in danger. Keep shouting until the threat subsides!
I may have been the first altitude sickness researcher in history to have been harassed out of a high altitude international airport by armed and potentially dangerous police officers.