[speeder]

There is no way to know from that story WTF actually happened. Mr. 47 year old might a large, tough and violent character and the 4 young guys might be little fairies. The young guy may have done nothing to instigate the attack. Or not. You cannot tell from that story.

Whenever someone assaults someone in a nightclub, or elsewhere, they claim that they were "acting in self-defense, blah, blah, blah..."

4 against 1 means nothing unless at least one of the 4 is tougher than the 1. Doesn't matter if it's 10 to 1. I'd rather fight 10 soft keyboard jockeys than one guy who can beat my ass any day.

Reading between the lines on this one, I'm seeing a very lop-sided physical altercation. A beating. And 4 weak non-fighter types being beaten. Did they have it coming? Impossible to know from story.

The ass-cleaning that guy is going to get in civil court will hurt more than any beating. And he'll get a beating as well unless he's seriously connected. They have the $$ to make that happen. This is in NY, folks.