Black Male Attacked In Possible 'Knockout' By Three White Men In Spokane Valley

An unidentified male in his 50s was attacked by a group of three men in Spokane Valley, Wash., on Saturday, in a possible "knockout." The deadly "game’" has received much media attention lately and entails teenagers knocking random people out on the street with a single punch to the face.

The assailants usually run away afterward as the victim remains on the ground, usually passed out or severely injured. Many of the attacks are even recorded by the perpetrators and posted online for people to "enjoy."

The attacks have been linked to racial profiling and deemed hate crimes, as many of the attackers identified thus far have been black teens that targeted Jews, primarily in Brooklyn. But attacks are also believed to have occurred in other parts of New York, New Jersey, New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C., surburban Philadelphia and St. Louis.

The gentleman attacked in Spokane Valley on Saturday was a black male who was attacked by three white men who are believed to be 17 to 21 years of age. If this was a part of the violent "knockout game," it would be one of the first cases involving white males as the perpetrators. The victim was attacked outside a convenience store. Police believe the attack may be related to the “knockout game” due to its randomness.

“We can’t say for sure what it was,” Deputy Craig Chamberlain told The Spokesman-Review. “There was no provocation or anything. We just don’t get very many random assaults like this. He was banged up pretty bad.” While attackers usually run away, this time they kept kicking and punching him after knocking him down. He declined to go to the hospital and seek treatment.

The perpetrators have not yet been identified, and there is no surveillance footage of the attack. People with any information are urged to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-TIPS.