Brooklyn Municipal Liability Lawyer

Brooklyn Municipal Liability Lawyer

Brooklyn Residents: Be Aware of “Knockout” Attacks in Area

As a personal injury and criminal defense attorney in Brooklyn, I have to keep a close eye on crime trends in New York City. Many people would be surprised by the crime “fads” that hit the city, rising and falling in popularity as new trends are ushered in.

Unfortunately, a new “game” has many in New York fearing for their safety. NYPD officers are investigating a game called “knockout,” according to the New York Daily News.

In knockout, a “player” will issue a hit-and-run with a sucker punch to the head of an unsuspecting victim. The “goal” of the game is to knock the victim unconscious with a single punch, then get away.

In a recent attack, four men on 18th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn, surrounded a young man. One of the attackers punched him in the face, knocking him down.

The victim says he heard the men talking about “knockout” just before the attack. One man was charged with the assault.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said there have been seven knockout assaults in the Crown Heights and Midwood sections of Brooklyn since October of this year. The attacks are also known as “polar bear” assaults, as all the victims have been white.

Police aren’t sure how widespread knockout has become, but are aware of similar reports in New Jersey, Connecticut, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

As a personal injury attorney in Brooklyn, I am appalled by this new trend, especially the sad reality that people are being hurt for the enjoyment of others. I do hope that as this trend attracts media attention (which it undoubtedly will), others do not try to copy game for their own pleasure.

If you have been injured in a knockout assault in Brooklyn, do not continue to suffer in pain and fear. The attacks seem to be random acts of violence, and you should feel no fault on your own part.

Reach out to the Law Offices of David J. Hernandez & Associates today if you have been injured in a knockout attack, or any other assault in Brooklyn.