The so-called knockout game is receiving a lot of media attention.
It’s hard to know if it is escalating in frequency, or just getting more media coverage:
An incident on November 16, 2013 at the edge of the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, appears to fit this pattern of an unprovoked, seemingly random sucker punch to the face of a stranger without any apparent robbery or other motive (emphasis added):
November 18, 2013Assault reported on University Ave, near Lake St, 11/16/13The Ithaca Police Department is investigating a reported assault that occurred on
University Ave., near Lake Street, around 3:11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013.
According to the male victim, he and a friend were walking on University Ave., near Lake Street, when they were approached by two males. The victim reports that the two males did not say anything, but one of the males punched the victim in the face with a closed fist causing pain and physical injury. The victim describes the perpetrators as a tall black male wearing dark clothing and a shorter Hispanic male also wearing dark clothing. The perpetrators then fled the area in a southerly direction on University Ave. The extent of the injury to the victim was not immediately apparent at the time of the incident and has been upgraded to an Assault.
A spokesman for the Ithaca Police Department indicated that the investigation has developed “no information to confirm or deny” whether the incident was part of a knockout game, and that they still were “trying to develop” information as to motive. The police are using social media and confidential informants to determine motive, but have no evidence one way or the other so far.
As far as the officer was aware, there have been no prior knockout game incidents in Ithaca.
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