Whether or not the NYPD victim used the alleged words "Black bastard", the alleged reaction from 6 Fijian rugby team members would seem rather disproportionate.
(I recall being at Wright-Patt base ops once. Glancing out of the window, the weather looked threatening, with serious nimbostratus rapidly approaching. "I don't like the look of that big black bastard!", I said, as lightning flickered from one particularly ugly looking cloud...
"Hey, what's that you said?", asked a chap from the far side of the room, who resembled a cliff of ebony tightly wrapped in a USAF flight suit. "Well, have a look, mate", I invited him. "Holy $hit, that's one mean black motherf***er - you're not wrong!", was his reply. So our 2 crews went for coffee and banter whilst the heavens opened.)