Vicious 'Knockout Game' Spans Back to 1992; Most Perpetrators Are Black

Elex Murphy, who was jailed after killing a Vietnamese man during a “knockout game” attack in 2011.

–The “knockout game” or variations of the disturbing trend goes back to at least 1992, research by Epoch Times shows. The investigation included exploring claims of racism on conservative blogs and media outlets regarding black on white racism, or that blacks are mostly perpetrating the vicious game and white people are the victims.

Epoch Times analyzed 37 incidents that span from September 18, 1992 through November 24, 2013 using news reports and information from local governments. The analysis shows that the knockout game—where people try to knockout a random person with one punch—stretches back much further and was more widespread than previously thought. 

The research also points to many of knockout game perpetrators being black.

In 18 of the researched incidents, black people were confirmed as the perpetrators. Many were arrested and charged with crimes, and some of those were sentenced to time in jail.

In another 15 of the incidents, race wasn’t given, and there are no photographs available of the accused assailants. In some of these cases, the suspects were never caught.

In the other four incidents, race was given and the perpetrator or perpetrators were white, Hispanic, and/or Indian.

Additionally, out of about 10 incidents reported on by the Riverfront Times in St. Louis in 2011—the story won an award from the National Association of Black Journalists—all of the “players” were black and all but two of the victims were white.

Race and Gender of Victims

In the 37 incidents analyzed by Epoch Times, 15 of the victims were confirmed white.

Another 18 victims were not identified by race.

The other victims were: one Asian, one Middle Eastern, one black, and one Hispanic.

The victims were overwhelmingly male, as were the perpetrators (in all but one case).

‘Game’ Goes Back Much Further Than Thought

Characteristics of the “knockout game” include:

- An attempt by the assailant to knockout a random person with one punch

- The assailant traveling in a group, with other people perhaps video taping the attack and others also jumping in on the beating

- The absense of robbery

While these three characteristics are true most of the time, in several instances a robbery has followed the attack. 

As early as 1992, the game was named as the reason for an attack on an unsuspecting victim. Yngve Raustein, a 21-year-old aeronautics major from Norway at M.I.T., was slugged by a group of three teenagers who decided to play a game the police called “knockout,” reported the New York Times.

“In the game, the police said, teenagers get drunk and challenge each other to knock out someone else with a single punch. If one fails, the others try it on that one.”

Raustein ended up dead after getting stabbed.

The game next appeared prominently in the United Kingdom, labeled as “happy slap.” The vicious attacks are pretty much the opposite of the description, no slapping involved. A bartender died from getting attacked by a group of six in London in October 2004. Two white teenagers and two black young men, aged 17 and 21, were sentenced to 12 years in jail after a jury convicted them of manslaughter. At least four other deaths in Europe were attributed to the sick game, and laws were drawn up in France and other countries to try to combat the crazed trend.

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