A “game” called Knockout, in which assailants attempt to knock victims unconscious with one punch, appears to have begun to spread to the Washington area, with two recent incidents logged by the Metropolitan Police Department.
“I’m infuriated by this,” said Jewish Community Relations Council executive director Ron Halber. “It is the worst depth of humanity.”
Halber is originally from Brooklyn, where the first reports of Knockout came out in September, most of which have been aimed at Jews in traditional clothing.
There has only been one arrest so far in New York, Amrit Marajh of Brooklyn who was arraigned on Saturday. Marajh stated during the arraignment that he did not attack the victim and had never heard of Knockout.
“I think there should be no mercy in the jail sentences handed out [to the attackers],” Halber said, adding that he felt there should be no plea bargaining available for the perpetrators and law enforcement should show zero tolerance. “I don’t think we owe any mercy to them.”
The two incidents in D.C. have only been tentatively linked to Knockout but police are continuing to investigate.
