Legislation would stiffen `knockout game’ penalties

SPRINGFIELD — An Illinois state lawmaker wants to stiffen penalties for people playing the so-called knockout game that involves random attacks on people.

The Belleville News-Democrat reported that Republican state Rep. Dwight Kay of Glen Carbon has introduced the Knockout Assault Prevention Act.

In the “knockout game,” people are randomly picked and beaten with a single punch. The attacks are sometimes captured on cellphone video and posted on social media sites.

Some cases have been reported in Chicago and St. Louis, including a fatal attack of a Vietnamese immigrant in 2011.

Kay’s bill would increase the penalty for such batteries, which would be considered a felony punishable by three to seven years in prison. His measure also says prosecutors can charge any such defendant 15 years or older as an adult.