More on Matthew Owens beating - He did pull a knife on kids playing basketball.

[Saving Hawaii]

154. Some info...

The mob was estimated at anywhere between 10-35 people by various witnesses. Most witnesses seem to be in the 10-20 range and only one that I'm aware of suggested possibly 30-55. I'm guessing 10-20 is probably a more accurate count. It also fits well with another measurement that one witness provided that the mob came out of 4 vehicles. Assuming 3-4 people per vehicle we're looking at 12-16 people in the mob which is pretty consistent with what most witnesses reported.

This mob was a varied group though. Multiple witnesses report that it consisted of men, women, and even children. At least one witness describes the women being dressed in Sunday apparel. This leads into what police are saying:

The police have currently stated that they are interested in 3 suspects. It may be that they have more John Doe suspects but it may also be that they only believe three individuals were actually involved in the assault. I've discussed earlier how this appears to be a crime of passion. Suppose that your neighbor, who you've had longstanding and very serious problems with, pulled a knife on your kid and his friends. You and the other parents go to confront him. Somewhere in that interaction some of the more hotheaded individuals present snap and decide that this asshole is already past his last straw. And what happens happens. Most people were simply there to confront him and tell him that this was completely unacceptable. A couple went above and beyond that. It's consistent with what the police are saying and eyewitness reports suggest, but I don't know if that's what actually happened.