Police Search For Suspect In Another Possible 'Knockout Game' Attack
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police were searching Saturday for a suspect in an attack on a 76-year-old woman in Brooklyn, in what was believed to be another possible instance of the "knockout game."
The attack happened in broad daylight Friday in East New York.
Around 11:35 a.m., the woman was walking along Wortman Avenue when the suspect came up to her from behind and punched her in the head, police said. The woman fell to the ground.
The suspect ran off, police said. The victim was taken to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
Police have released surveillance photos of the suspect.
The attack is suspected to be the latest in a string of attacks in the so-called "knockout game," a violent trend in which youths sucker-punch unsuspecting strangers for kicks.
Several attacks have taken place in recent weeks in Brooklyn. The victims include a 78-year-old grandmother and a 12-year-old boy.
Earlier this week, Mira Harpazi, 72, was walking two blocks from her home at the Starret City housing complex in Brooklyn when she was punched in the face by a man in his 20s.
Like other alleged "knockout" victims, she was not robbed, but left on the street injured.
Online videos from various cities show young suspects randomly punching innocent victims.
Community activist Tony Herbert from the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network said Friday that the group is calling on social media companies and their advertisers to stop showing images of these attacks.
"The one thing we do denounce is the opportunity of folks to use social media like World Star Hip Hop and YouTube to proliferate this kind of stupidity," Herbert said.
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