Borough Park Councilman David Greenfield is calling on the Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder to prosecute ‘Knockout Game’ attacks’ suspects based on a hate crime felony.
On his weekly radio program, Councilman Greenfield announced Thursday evening a new campaign to convince the federal government to consider the dozen knockout attacks in Brooklyn – over the month of November – as a federal hate crime attack and act accordance.
“I am calling on the federal government to consider these knockout crimes as hate crimes,” said Mr. Greenfield. “I will be reaching out to the Department of Justice and the Attorney General’s office, asking them to investigate this. There’s no question that in many of these case, it is very clear that the victims have been attacked because they are Jewish. It’s a violation of their civil right, and more specifically it’s a violation of the federal hate crime, most recently updated in 2009.”
“I think it’s quite important that the federal government, which may have tools at their disposal that the District Attorney’s office might not have, to take this seriously,” he added. “That’s the kind of action we need to see.”
Mr. Greenfield’s call came on the heels of the Federal authorities arrest and charge of a Texas man in connection with the “knockout game,” accusing him of a hate crime for targeting a black man for a vicious street attack. The Justice Department said it filed a criminal complaint against 27-year-old Conrad Alvin Barrett on Tuesday and arrested him on Thursday.
“Hate crimes tear at the fabric of entire communities,” U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels said Thursday in a Justice Department statement announcing the charge against Barrett. “As always, the Civil Rights Division will work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to ensure that hate crimes are identified and prosecuted, and that justice is done.”
CNN affiliate KTRK-TV in Houston reported that Barrett faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)
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2 Responses
There is something else, more serious, involved. A person who will just go over to an old lady (or anyone) and try to suddenly knock her unconscious does not care if this would actually kill her as well. I don’t know the exact legal term for this type of crime, but that is what he is doing. It’s not perhaps attempted murder, but death is something which can be caused.
These thugs, even juveniles, carrying out knockout assaults should be accused for attempted murder, nothing less. Serious injuries and even deaths have been reported from these attacks.