The next time this happens — and there WILL be a next time — the citizens would be wise to consider the police part of the problem, not part of the solution. Then, once the “vigilantes” have scattered their various enemies, they need to proceed to the police offices and demand that either these deadbeats start doing their jobs or they stop collecting public pay.
This has already happened in America which some posters eluded to.
Remember what happened after Americans had a belly full of our government sponsored lawless country killing violent borders?
They volunteered to assist in securing the borders and were attacked and called "Vigilantes".