I’m sure the snotty 12 yr. old will be thinking a bit more clearly next time.
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. Mark Twain
There was a group of boys in our neighborhood who would see how close they could get to you on bicycles without actually hitting you. They tried that on me - I grabbed a kid by the arm and instinctively knocked him off his seat as the kid tried to buzz me as I was exiting my truck. He was 6-8 inches from me going quite fast....
This brat instantly, on queue screamed bloody murder so the entire town could hear it. Shortly afterwards the sheriff shows up looking for an evil man knocking kids about. A neighbor who had been on the receiving end of this abuse set the record straight for the sheriff. When the offending kids father heard about it the little brat had hell to pay.
That's the most important point. Do the "parents" defend their little DinduNuffin regardless of the facts, or do they reinforce his continuing education? That kid's father did it right. The "father" in the OP article seems to be part of the problem. The solution will come when the junior-grade thug advances to become a full-grown thug and ends up in prison ... or dead. In a civilized society (which New York is not), he would face the serious possibility of offending against an armed citizen and catching a bullet or three. He would know this, and might moderate his behavior.