A state lawmaker wants to make sure people who play the violent “knockout game” face stiff penalties in Wisconsin.
The goal of the game is to knockout an unsuspecting person with one punch. It’s getting more national attention after videos surfaced of teens recording attacks, and state Representative Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) is calling on prosecutors to aggressively go after those doing it. “I think prosecutors should look at trying them as adults, we should look at the people who are also involved in at as far as filming it, and we should take harsh action against them so it doesn’t happen here in Wisconsin.”
The Neenah Republican is working on a bill that would create longer sentences as well, such as penalty enhancers or provisions directly aimed at treating anyone videotaping an attack as an accessory to the crime.
Cases reported in national media have taken place in other states and Kaufert says he is not yet aware of any Wisconsin-based incidents. Still, he says he wants to make a “preemptive strike” against it.
WHBY
