I agree 100% that violence and assault aboard ship is indefensible
However when dealing with shipboard discipline it is important to keep in mind this isn’t sports where if a player goes out-of-bounds a ref is gong to blow a whistle and stop the play. On this subject a captain once told me don’t put a crew member in a corner unless you want them there.
It’s far better to avoid physical confrontations if possible, including threats such as brandishing a knife and so forth but the argument has been made on this thread that actual experience can sometimes be a better teacher than book learning which I think is true, at least for boneheads like me.
Another point that some people miss, with regards to the failure to remove persistent bullies (possibly the C/M in this case) from the ship is not just to avoid the general unpleasantness a bully creates but more importantly the possibility that if the problem is not dealt with officially a crew member might decide to take matters into their own hands and the methods they choose might lead to a less favorable outcome.