Don't like cops, firefighters, judges, EMTs, so you assault one.
Don't like black people, so you assault one.

What's the difference other than the classification of people? That's right, there's none. I disagree that the examples above are different sorts of crimes. The only way they would be different is if you place a lesser value on first responders, which I guess you are perfectly entitled to do. But the law shouldn't.

In your example of a cop harassing someone, self-defense is available as a defense to the charge.

In your other example of "popping" some random black guy, you are presumably causing injury which is outside of the scope of what I was talking about . I was speaking purely about non-bodily injury assaults.

In an ivory tower sense, one crime requires intent based upon classification and the other technically does not. But if you are assaulting a cop while he/she is performing their professional duties, the overwhelming likelihood is that you are assaulting them because of the fact that they are being a cop. You are not thinking of them as a person, you are thinking of them as a cop just like you wouldn't be thinking of a black person as simply a person, you would thinking of them as black.
[Post edited by CrystalCoveHokie at 08/28/2020 2:32PM]