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A sick so-called game known as "knockout" -- where teens appear to randomly sucker-punch strangers with the goal of knocking them unconscious with a single blow -- is catching the attention of law enforcement throughout the nation. The assaults can be fatal. In New Jersey, Ralph Santiago, 46, a homeless man, was walking alone in Hoboken on the night of September 10 when he was suddenly struck from behind, said Hoboken Detective Anthony Caruso. The blow knocked out Santiago, who had a pre-existing brain injury. He suffered a seizure. The victim's body struck a nearby fence, with part of the wrought iron fence piercing his body and killing him, Caruso said.
Surveillance video in the area showed three teens running from the scene. Two weeks later, police arrested the juveniles and charged them in connection with the killing. Caruso said the attack was unprovoked. Authorities have reported similar incidents in New York, Illinois, Missouri and Washington. One of the latest attacks happened Friday, when someone was allegedly punched on a street in Brooklyn. Police brought four men in for questioning and arrested 28-year-old Amrit Marajh. Marajh is charged with aggravated assault as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime and assault in the 3rd degree, police said. He was arraigned Saturday, according to Mia Goldberg, spokeswoman for the Kings County District Attorney's Office.
Youth violence expert Chuck Williams blamed the media and parents for what he called extreme aggression by America's youth. Negative attention, he said, is often rewarded. "That's America. America loves violence and so do our kids," Williams said. "We market violence to our children and we wonder why they're violent. It's because we are." Williams, a professor of psychology and education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said some young people are desperate for attention. He called it the "Miley Cyrus effect," where teens will do anything to get noticed, no matter how heinous or unconscionable. "These kids know the consequences," he said. "They want to get arrested. They want to get caught, because they want that notoriety. They know they won't go away forever because they're kids. It's a win-win all around for them."
In New York, police noted seven "knockout" incidents this fall alone. Some of the incidents were allegedly directed specifically at Jewish people and thus classified as hate crimes, said police spokesman Sgt. Brendan Ryan. Despite the recent assaults, Ryan cautioned that police in New York haven't yet seen evidence of a "knockout" trend. "We know that NYPD, and especially the Hate Crime Task Force, are working swiftly to find the alleged perpetrators of these incidents," said Evan Bernstein, the Anti-Defamation League's New York regional director, referring to a spate of assaults in parts of Brooklyn. Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a resident of Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood and executive director of the Jewish Future Alliance, said many of the assault victims are children. Behrman met with black leaders last week to discuss the issue. "Kids talk, especially on social media. There's a buzz about this," said Behrman.
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What is it about the White America culture that is perpetuating, encouraging this violence against innocent bystanders?
And as soon as a few more urban tribesmen get shot for their efforts we'll get more crying mothers, wailing about their poor sons who were aspiring rappers or turning their lives around and how the victim had no right to shoot her baby down. We'll get pictures of a 12 year old in football pads instead of the thug uniform and reverends complaining about how it's the gun the victim used that's the problem because it's just a game and nobody deserved to get shot.
And as soon as a few more urban tribesmen get shot for their efforts we'll get more crying mothers, wailing about their poor sons who were aspiring rappers or turning their lives around and how the victim had no right to shoot her baby down. We'll get pictures of a 12 year old in football pads instead of the thug uniform and reverends complaining about how it's the gun the victim used that's the problem because it's just a game and nobody deserved to get shot.
Liberals will come along and say that kids playing Yahtzee will be shot next! Are conservatives going to shoot all children who are doing nothing but playing. It's open season on pick up basketball!
I find these animalistic actions to be deplorable but do we need another thread about them?
One of these days, these punks will pick on someone who has a Concealed and then? Bang Bang...game over.
And as soon as a few more urban tribesmen get shot for their efforts we'll get more crying mothers, wailing about their poor sons who were aspiring rappers or turning their lives around and how the victim had no right to shoot her baby down. We'll get pictures of a 12 year old in football pads instead of the thug uniform and reverends complaining about how it's the gun the victim used that's the problem because it's just a game and nobody deserved to get shot.
Liberals will come along and say that kids playing Yahtzee will be shot next! Are conservatives going to shoot all children who are doing nothing but playing. It's open season on pick up basketball!
Indeed. Their actions and words are utterly deplorable.
