(help!!) major problem w ncpd warrants/the hunt side job

i just started cyberpunk for my first time last week. i am beyond frustrated at the moment and i’m not sure what to do. i’m trying to do the hunt side job with river, but the farthest i get is rounding the corner to get into the lab for the bd. this is because the ncpd put a warrant on me while i was walking by them (opposite side of the street?) then i start getting shot at and killed very quickly. (i’m only level 17) and because river is a companion during this quest, he starts attacking the police, and random gang members from allies join the fight too.

i realized i mightve pissed off some cops earlier, so i went back to a previous save before i had even encountered any that day—before i even got the quest from river. (i haven’t killed pedestrians, gotten in police’s space, etc. can’t think of anything that would cause a warrant). i’ve tried pretty much every save method, restarting my laptop, etc. the problem is if i run too far from the location, i fail the side job. every fuckin time i go back to that spot they put a warrant on me and i get screwed. i’m not sure if this is a bug, or something i’m doing—or just how the game works? i don’t know what to do and it’s bugging the shit out of me. any ideas?