Acctually he tenderly cradled her head on one side while punching the other. This prevented any fall or spinal damage while showing he is serious. Only after the lady darted for her purse - trying to snatch his prize away - was he forced to unleash his full power.
That fine young gentleman was simply helping the elderly woman knock out her ear mites after having successfully busted up her chiffarobe for a quarter.
In NYC I remember there were unwritten rules about how you treated old people. When an elderly person got on the subway some of even the meanest looking people would get up and let the old person have their seat. If anyone saw those two doing that out in the open they would be dead men.