Even if the nice neighbors across the street are far enough to be bothered, can they occassionaly see or hear what is going on?

It wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to them and get their help, just if they see or hear anything to keep note of it... see if they will be a witness if ever needed.

Make sure they only comment about things they have actually seen or heard. i.e. you going to them afterward and telling about the incident won't do you much good for them to repeat that in court... but if they actually saw all or part of the incident they could testify that you didn't spit or that they were beligerent or whatever they saw.

If there is a calm moment maybe you can talk to the police (assuming they are understanding about it) and ask about the deal with taking you in for spitting. What would happen, what would likely be the outcome, etc. If they lie that easily and quickly it is likely that they would lie again to the police and their story would quickly become inconsistant and they would lose credibility.

I think that almost definitely you wouldn't want the stress of going down to the police station even if you knew for certain that you would be cleared and they would be punished... but it might be good to know what the options are, it will always be your choice how much to get involved, and understanding those options may give you some extra peace of mind even if you never explore them.

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