Similar to the events that were described in the link provided by the OP, this vehicle was surrounded by a bunch of "kids" in a residential neighborhood and they proceeded to hit, kick, slap the outside of the vehicle with their hands and backpacks. The vehicle couldn't move forwards or backwards, because one or more of them would be squished causing a big mess. Drawing a sidearm was determined to be unnecessary because it didn't appear as if they were trying to break in... so, how do you stop these mischievous "kids?" Well, the only thing that spooked them was when they assumed the police were being called when a cell phone was drawn... so one of them yelled "he's callin' the cops" and they all fled. The entire event happened in maybe 30 seconds, and then they disappeared into the nearby alley.
Exactly. Although I am happy that no one was hurt, minor cosmetic damage was found on the vehicle, and the "kids" were never found/punished. This unfortunately emboldens their future behavior... and it's only going to get worse.These little criminals learned that night they could do anything they wanted including attack people in 4000 lb pieces of machinery with no consequence. They will take that lesson with them until suddenly they find a person/object that when attacked fights back.
Similar to TAM, if I was being attacked with a brick or thought someone was trying to break in, I would hit the gas regardless of what or who is in my way (similar to this: http://youtu.be/ztWs7RJ6Ne0?t=48s), followed by a call to law enforcement after finding a safe zone.
+1 on the dash cam. They are now very affordable, and I can't begin to stress the importance of having one when needed.