Wow...

1) The full accusation includes that the assailant threw the old man to the ground, not just that he stole his hat. That's battery.

2) Yes, stealing someone's property off their person IS assault. Maybe you need to look up the legal definition of assault. It means a lot more than physical violence. It's a legal term being applied correctly, so I don't see how that can salacious.

3) No mention that the old man "escalated" the situation...it says a "struggle" started when the young man stole the hat. A struggle could be nothing more than the man trying to hold onto his hat while the assailant tried to take it.

4) The legal definitions of assault & battery don't care about the extent of injuries sustained. Still against the law.

5) No one said this is worse than someone planning a mass murder...you said that.

I hate Trump and his acolytes as much as the next average Reddit user, but your position here is ignorant and indefensible.