PD: 'Knockout Game' Incident Reported in Mansfield

A man was randomly hit in the head while walking on a sidewalk in Mansfield over the weekend in an incident that police said may have something to do with the highly publicized "Knockout Game."

In a news release, police said that around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 a black male wearing a white button-down shirt with a neck tie and khaki pants was walking northbound on the soutbound Route 195 sidewalk right in front of the East Brook Mall.

At the same time, a white male, approximately 5'10, weighing about 190 lbs., suspected to be between 25-26 years old, wearing a black, white and red baseball cap and a black T-shirt and blue jeans was walking on the same sidewalk toward the black male.

The white male then struck the black male in the head and immediately ran from him toward Willimantic. Once he reached the Route 6 overpass, the white male veered off into the woods adjacent to the highway, police said.

The perpetrator was reported to be alone and has no known association with the victim.

Police noted in the news release this random act of violence described to them is consistent with the "knockout game" which has been prominent in New York, New Jersey and New Haven. In the game, a person punches or hits a pedestrian for no apparent reason and then runs away.

Anyone with information, or who may have witnessed this, is asked to contact Trooper Woodward at 860-896-3222 ext. 8088.