The proper approach would have been for this busybody woman to stay the proverbial six feet away and mind her own business. Or just stay home and have her husband do the shopping if she is so frightened of being around unmasked people.
I hate to see anybody attacked but men of my generation learned from an early age that you don't mess with strangers or you risk getting smashed in the mouth. The best approach when in public is to always mind your own business and avoid unnecessary confrontation.
Most women have never been in a fistfight or gotten punched in the face so some of them have a false sense of security and thus feel emboldened to walk up to a stranger and confront them. This woman learned a hard lesson.
Agree about ordinary caution near a stranger. And this is especially true during the hot summer months of George Floyd riots and demonstrations. She should realize that certain “protesters” don’t believe in age discrimination. Just because you have the right to run off your mouth, it doesn’t mean it is wise to do so.
“This woman learned a hard lesson.”
You’re right, she learned several lessons. Hopefully one of them is that what white people can do to other white people with little repercussion is not the same as white people can do to black people without expecting repercussion. There are generally two completely different standards of conduct. The best thing to do is not engage unless you have no choice. “Disrespecting” them and then trying to poke them with a cane is probably not going to turn out good.