Recent attack brings renewed attention to 'Knockout game' <br /> <br /> A "game" revolving around surprise physical assault is getting new attention after several people were ambushed in D.C.; however, the trend is nothing new, according to a local expert. <br /> <br />Phoebe Connolly says she was hoping for a nice bike ride through Columbia Heights, but instead she was punched in the face by a teenager. <br /> <br />"He just like threw a hook with his left hand, and just got me right in the face," she says. "And he said 'wa-pow' as he hit me in the face." <br /> <br />Connolly escaped on her bike with a bloody nose. <br /> <br />Also, a 27-year-old woman was punched in the District Thursday night. The victim did not lose consciousness, she told ABC 7. <br /> <br />It's part of a continued trend known as the "knockout game," ABC 7 reports. Cases have been reported in New York and New Jersey where the victims did lose consciousness. <br /> <br />Jeffrey Butts of John Jay College of Criminal Justice tells WTOP the "game" is not new to the area. <br /> <br />"I actually had a friend that was hit in D.C., more than 10 years ago, in a Metro station. I think at that point not many people were using the term 'knockout game,'" said Butts. <br /> <br />Part of the the problem in policing the unprovoked attacks is that they happen quickly, without warning and the perp gets away -- fast. <br /> <br />"It's about thrill seeking and bravado, proving your manhood and your bravery by doing this," Butts says.
