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Police are investigating three recent attacks in the city they believe are part of the knockout" game, in which an unsuspecting person is attacked for no reason with the goal of knocking the person out with one punch.

The three attacks this month have occurred in the 700 block of Main Street, the area of 87 Millbury St. and on Chatham near Main Street.

The knockout game refers to a blitz-style attack on a random, unsuspecting stranger with the goal of knocking the person out with a single punch, police said.

A specialist in the Crime Analysis Unit recently flagged the attacks as possibly being involved, said Police Chief Gary J. Gemme.

The department had been reviewing attacks as stories about the knockout game popped up across the country, but hadn't seen an possible related attacks here until now.

It is concerning that this type of activity has spread to Worcester, Chief Gemme said. It is very cowardly act.

Police do not know how widespread the knockout game is within the city limits at the moment but continue to monitor all attacks.

If a victim is blind-sided that can cause serious harm, Chief Gemme said. We don't want to see this type of activity increase in the community.

Police said all three male victims were walking alone when they were approached by a male they did not know. The suspects would without provocation or warning punch the victims in the face or head with the intent of inflicting serious injury. Two of the victims are 56 years old; the third is 23. The older men were treated at local hospitals after the attacks. The 23-year-old was not seriously injured.

At this time it is unknown if these assaults are conducted by the same suspect or carried out by different individuals, police said. There have been no other reported assaults in the city this year that resemble these incidents.

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3 recent attacks in Worcester believed to be part of 'knockout game'