Deadly Game Of Knockout Still Spreading Across U.S.

http://www.thechiefly.com/culture/knockout-still-spreading/

Teenagers playing pranks is nothing new. Whether it’s rolling a yard with toilet paper or egging a car windshield or spraying a can’s worth of graffiti on a highway underpass – most teenage shenanigans can be characterized as irritating, but relatively harmless. But the latest “game” being played by teens (and some young adults) gaining national attention is far from harmless.

Known as “Knockout,” the rules of the game seem to consist of nothing more than approaching an unsuspecting stranger on the street and hitting them in the head so hard it knocks them out. Apparently, points are earned if the person is, in fact, left unconscious.

Enough of these incidents have been recorded on camera phones and gone viral online to concern authorities that the “game” will spread across the country like wildfire (or a bad Miley Cyrus video). A little notoriety, however damning, can be enticing for some young copycats and hooligan wannabes.

Some of the perpetrators are posting the videos as if to show-off their conquests. Bystanders are posting others. Side note: if you choose to do something illegal, it’s not really smart to record it.

Most show the same scenario. A young person casually approaches an unsuspecting victim from behind and hits them in the back of the head, causing them to topple to the ground. Then the perpetrator – often joined by a group of other young people – runs off while laughing giddily at their feat as the victim lays motionless on the sidewalk.

Reports of “Knockout” incidents are popping up in big cities like New York and Washington D.C. In Pittsburgh a teacher sustained life-threatening injuries after an attack. A 62-year-old grandfather in Chicago died in another. In September, a 14-year-old and two 13-year-olds were charged as juveniles in the death of a 46-year-old Jersey City man who was found with a broken neck and head wedged between metal fence posts. Prosecutors believe the boys were playing Knockout.

Apparently, “Knockout” has been going on for several years. What’s unclear is whether there has been an increase in activities or simply greater awareness resulting from viral videos and media exposure.

What is clear is that an unprovoked attack is illegal, whether it’s called a “game” or not.

Authorities are taking the “game” seriously. For example, one attacker was sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder and first degree assault when a St. Louis man died as a result of the blow to the head two years ago.

A 15-year-old boy was recently found guilty of killing a man in Syracuse and sentenced to 18 months in confinement. In a separate incident, another Syracuse teenager has been charged with first degree murder.

Certainly, only a tiny percentage of young people would engage in activity of this nature. Most teens are as appalled as anyone that someone would intentionally injure someone as part of a game. Hopefully, the light being shined through the media and enhanced police efforts to apprehend the perpetrators will soon put an end to the game and rebellious teens can move on to less sinister pranks.

Stephen Raburn
Stephen Raburn... is a writer, blogger, daydreamer, activist, entrepreneur, coffee snob, publisher, child advocate, flaming liberal and father of two amazing little girls who lives in Durham, NC.
Stephen Raburn
Stephen Raburn
Stephen Raburn
Stephen Raburn

Latest posts by Stephen Raburn (see all)

Tags: ×