New Jersey police are investigating a disturbing viral video that shows a boy punching an unsuspecting older man on the street - and trying to find the teens behind it
The boy, who is significantly taller than the elderly man, briefly says something to him before he revs up his arm and punches the man right in the face.
It's so forceful the impact throws the man into the pavement and seems to knock him unconscious, with part of his body hanging off the sidewalk and into the street as the boy is seen walking away.
The video seems to be inspired by the 'knockout game', which has someone sucker punch an unsuspecting victim for their own amusement.
A string of attacks credited to the knockout game led to multiple deaths in 2013.
The video, which was uploaded on Facebook and has appeared on multiple social media sites, at first shows a boy who looks to be a teenager walking toward the old man before he briefly says something to him
The video seems to be inspired by the 'knockout game', which has someone sucker punch an unsuspecting victim for their own amusement
Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale said the department is currently looking into where and when the video was taped, as well as the identities of the perpetrators and victim.
Once that is determined we will take swift and decisive action as we will not tolerate that kind of behavior in our city,' he said in a filmed statement posted on the department's Facebook.
Speziale said the video, which has since been taken down from Facebook, was first brought to the police's attention by a media outlet that had come across it on social media, he told The Record.
The condition of the victim seen in the video is unknown.