Posted on Dec 06, 2013

Over the past several months, random acts of violence attributed to the “Knockout Game” have been reported across the country. Tim Bessette, a 53-year-old Milwaukee man, claims to be the latest victim of the game in which someone randomly attacks an unsuspecting person and attempts to knock them unconscious with one punch. Video footage of the attacks is often posted on the Internet by the perpetrators themselves.

On the evening of December 2, 2013, Bessette was leaving the bus stop near Sherman and Burleigh when he noticed that four teens were following him. Bessette was then sucker punched by one of the teens before the other three joined in the assault.

As the teens left, Bessette recalls that they were laughing and giggling which leads him to believe that this random act of violence is connected to the “Knockout Game,” also referred to as the “Point-‘em-out-Knock-‘em-out game.” Bessette suffered a broken nose from the attack and said his left eye swelled shut.

Similar crimes have been reported in places like New Jersey, where a 46-year-old man was killed, and New York City has seen 10 alleged “Knockout Game” incidents, the latest of which involved a 76-year-old woman. Some have claimed the game is racially motivated while others say it’s a result of young kids trying to feel macho.

While it is difficult for anyone to determine the exact motive for these random acts of violence, police are treating these incidents as serious crimes, not a game. Many of the incidents have been caught on surveillance cameras and police are actively pursuing all offenders.

Injuries like the ones sustained by Bessette can have serious ramifications on someone’s personal life. The Milwaukee-based law firm of Hupy and Abraham has been representing injury victims for decades to get them the financial compensation they deserve and help them get their lives back together.

Jill Erin Wellskopf
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