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Police respond to knockout threat [YALE]
yale dailynews.com ^ | Thursday, December 5, 2013 | By Erica Pandey

Posted on 12/05/2013 10:41:05 AM PST by Red Badger

Yale students and New Haven residents are experiencing the arrival of a new crime pattern that has gained national attention in recent weeks — the “knockout game.”

The game refers to attacks on pedestrians by groups of young adults. The assaulters approach their victims on public streets, hit them and run away. After speaking to the New Haven Police Department, Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins notified the campus community about the violent new trend in an email on Nov. 21. There were seven reported cases of street violence in New Haven this November that could be linked to the “knockout game.”

The most recent incident occurred close to Gateway Community College, on the Church Street overpass, according to Higgins’ email alert. New Haven Police are still uncertain as to whether the reported acts of violence were incidents of “knockout.”

According to Public Information Officer Anna Mariotti, the attacks have subsided since late November.

“The YPD is working collaboratively with the New Haven Police Department and Yale Security to prevent these assaults and to identify those responsible,” said Yale Public Relations Manager Amy Athey McDonald.

Higgins reiterated that students should be aware of their surroundings and avoid isolated areas, especially after dark.

New Haven residents said that exercising caution has always been a necessity in New Haven.

“We live in an urban area, and we have to be careful,” said Michael Kaplan ’86, a New Haven resident and the parent of a current Yale student. “This is one more thing to be careful about.”

Zoe Dobuler ’17 expressed concern that the “knockout game” presents an additional danger. She had not heard of the “knockout game” before Higgins’ email and said it is scary that such attacks have occurred so close to campus. Dobuler said she remains careful when walking around campus at night but has not made any changes to her habits since receiving Higgins’ email.

Kaplan and Dobuler both expressed confusion over the assaulters’ motives. While there is a clear reason for “apple-picking,” the crime trend where people steal iPhones and iPods, it is less clear what a person would gain from punching a stranger in the face, Kaplan said.

Kaplan also expressed doubt about whether the “knockout game” will become a serious issue in New Haven.

“I’m not sure whether the fear is coming from the students or the national media coverage,” Kaplan said.

Sergeant Al Vazquez of the NHPD Detective Bureau shared residents’ concerns about media sensationalism. The best way to prevent further “knockout” attacks is to educate New Haven residents as well as the media, Vazquez said. He explained that the media helps perpetuate the trend by continually covering it.

The Yale Police has not yet determined whether the “knockout game” will be as prevalent of a threat as “apple-picking” was last year, McDonald said, explaining that the email was meant to be precautionary. She added that the YPD’s goal was to encourage the community to take reasonable precautions.

The Detective Bureau of the NHPD is preparing to arrest one individual in response to the Church Street “knockout” incident that occurred on Nov. 17.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Connecticut; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: knockout
Read the comments. Very interesting..............
1 posted on 12/05/2013 10:41:05 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Wow...the comments are too spicy even for FR! Who woulda thunk it!

90% of those comments would be removed here.


2 posted on 12/05/2013 10:50:02 AM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: Red Badger

“Sergeant Al Vazquez of the NHPD Detective Bureau shared residents’ concerns about media sensationalism. The best way to prevent further “knockout” attacks is to educate New Haven residents as well as the media, Vazquez said. He explained that the media helps perpetuate the trend by continually covering it.”

The Sergeant is a complete douchebag.


3 posted on 12/05/2013 10:51:12 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Red Badger
Lived in the New Haven area several years ago, my travels take me back from time to time. Yale University campus is what you might expect of a Ivy League school beautiful campus grounds, stately buildings. Unfortunately the university is practically surrounded by bad areas. Every now and then, it happened in the years I lived in CT, a Yale student is murdered just off campus in downtown New Haven. The perpetrators are feral black ‘yoots’ preying on young students. This type of thing makes the local news but rarely gets to the nearby NYC media ... Yale has become expert in protecting its reputation. The KO game has been around in different guises over the years in New Haven, just ask Yale security.
4 posted on 12/05/2013 10:56:00 AM PST by BluH2o
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To: left that other site
90% of those comments would be removed here.

I would say 15-20% would be too racist for FR.

Most seemed to be pretty much in line with the FR culture.

I wonder what percentage came from people actually affiliated with Yale.

It must be a challenge to be a conservative at Yale, or at any Ivy League school. I know there are some.

5 posted on 12/05/2013 10:56:30 AM PST by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Steely Tom

OK...perhaps I overdid the percentage, but you get my point! :-)


6 posted on 12/05/2013 10:58:01 AM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: Red Badger

Note the codeword “urban” describing the “area” in the quote. His fellow leftists, including the writer of the article (”young adults”) know exactly what he means.


7 posted on 12/05/2013 10:58:52 AM PST by jiggyboy (Ten percent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: Red Badger

It’s just a matter of time till one of the victims, is legally armed, and kills a perp.


8 posted on 12/05/2013 10:59:15 AM PST by swamprebel (a Constitution once changed from Freedom, can never be restored.)
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To: Red Badger

Hmm...so the best answer is education? I’ll buy that - nothing is quite so educational as getting your sorry butt shot for being stupid.


9 posted on 12/05/2013 10:59:57 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: left that other site
Had to copy this one, it's great:

I think this would be a wonderful opportunity to pause for a moment and give thanks for the many great contributions of the Black community and their culture to our society. Their peaceful and generous nature make them ideal neighbors, lending testimony to their exceptional family values and parenting skills unrivaled by any other culture.

Their commitment to academic excellence enriches our schools and serves as an example to all who hope to achieve prominence as a people. Real Estate values are fueled by the influx of African Americans into an area due to their caring and respectful nurturing of these communities, an example of all they have achieved by their enthusiasm for self improvement through hard work and a self-reliant can-do nature. Without their industrious and creative drive, we would be poorer, as a nation.

Presently enriching the cities of Spokane WA, Chicago IL, Philadelphia PA, Washington D.C., St. Louis MO, New Orleans LA, Los Angeles CA, Flint MI, Baltimore MD, Pontiac MI, Gary Ind., Newark NJ, Cleveland OH, Atlanta GA, Richmond VA, Memphis Tn, Birmingham AL, Camden NJ; and let's not forget Detroit, the tourism capital of the world


10 posted on 12/05/2013 11:05:42 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: MrB

That’s a keeper!


11 posted on 12/05/2013 11:11:34 AM PST by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
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To: MrB

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!


12 posted on 12/05/2013 11:40:13 AM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: kingattax

Ping to #10


13 posted on 12/05/2013 11:45:58 AM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: MrB

I would say those are all reasons for justifiable racism. Which I think is spreading rapidly as an idea. Thanks to both Obama and black culture itself. They have only themselves to blame. Reaping what is sown.


14 posted on 12/05/2013 11:52:40 AM PST by ZX12R (Never forget the heroes of Benghazi, who were abandoned to their deaths by Obama)
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To: Red Badger
“The YPD is working collaboratively with the New Haven Police Department and Yale Security to prevent these assaults and to identify those responsible,” said Yale Public Relations Manager Amy Athey McDonald.

Which is why we had to be careful not to describe the perpetrators, which would be racial profiling.

15 posted on 12/05/2013 12:37:01 PM PST by Kenton
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To: Red Badger
New Haven Police are still uncertain as to whether the reported acts of violence were incidents of “knockout.”

Quit worrying about what to call it. It's racial violence, intended to intimidate white people. It's a form of racial terrorism, and should be dealt with as such.

16 posted on 12/05/2013 12:39:11 PM PST by Kenton
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To: left that other site; Red Badger

Yes, the comments are amazing. However, I think many of them are planted by leftists in order to make it appear that anyone who correctly identifies what is really happening is a knuckle-dragging redneck racist. The paper leaves these comments on the site to say “See! These right-wing nuts really are haters and bigots.”


17 posted on 12/05/2013 1:01:21 PM PST by Pining_4_TX (All those who were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48)
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To: Pining_4_TX

That makes sense.

False Flag operations are their specialty.


18 posted on 12/05/2013 4:55:35 PM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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