I honestly would have kept walking, without uttering a word. But then again I am female and it takes a LOT to get me angry. Most things aren't worth it.
What makes you think Cruise looked like the idiot? Gee, he told the guy off non-violently, then moved on. Where's the "look like an idiot" part? Oh, the part where they squirted him in the face! They got THAT part whether he stood up to them or not.
Besides, he was smart enough to know keeping the perps engaged gave the authorities a chance to arrest them, which they rightly deserved.