It cuts both ways.
On the one hand, nothing excuses responding to an insult by doing serious physical damage to the insulter. If a white guy punched someone out like this, he’d probably be accused of attempted murder.
On the other hand, even if you’ve lost your job because of racial preferences, as well as government-sponsored economic problems, that’s no excuse for getting drunk and insulting a stranger who had nothing to do with it.
And if you learn one thing in New York, it’s to avoid provoking minorities. You don’t even make eye-contact with strangers on the streets and subways, if you know what’s good for you.
Not a crime, like punching someone out, but pretty stupid.
The thing about NYC is that when these types of fights happens, the guy who gets knocked out usually ends up really messed up after his head hits the sidewalk or street.
Major brain injuries and/or death.
And if the guy who knocked him out threw the first punch, manslaughter charges.