As a conductor for Amtrak and a co-worker of the conductor assaulted that day I would like to applaud your passionate responses but also agree that reason must ultimately prevail. The "suspects" in this case will no doubt get there just deserts when brought to trial. The witnesses on the train are clear about the unprevoked nature of the assault.
On a more general note, Conductors must strike a delicate balance between providing public transportation to all kinds of individuals while maintaining a safe if not always comfortable environment for everyone onboard. Not everyone remains reasonable when confronted with the news that their behavior is not going to allow their travel plans to be realized and that's what happened on that trip. It's been my observation that overly agressive Conductors don't stay employed at Amtrak for very long and the timid ones end up getting hurt. Like I said a delicate balance. I always try to maintain the element of surprise and usually take this type of confrontation to the platform at the next station where, once the problem child is on the ground, it's simply a matter of leaving them there.
This incident also draws attention to a very real problem we face everyday on the railroad. There are thousands of inmates currently getting early releases and the Corrections Dept daily brings us their parolees and makes sure they board our trains. That means that at any time the conductors may be out-numbered 10 or 15 to 1 by inmates heading back into a social structure that is completely foreign to them. They often attempt to get their first drunk in a long time on our trains. This situation was an offshoot of just such an attempt. Once refused the sale of alcohol a parolee had the assailant try to buy for him. When both were then refused service the battle was set.