Phoenix Jones Is The Hero Seattle Deserves But Doesn't Need Right Now

Gawker weighed in on this earlier today, but it bears repeating and updating.

After all, it's not everyday that a self-appointed superhero — with camera crew in tow — breaks up a fight (despite there probably not being a fight to break up), chases after a purported hit-and-run vehicle (which ran, but didn't hit anyone before doing so) and pepper sprays a lady who'd hit him with a high-heeled shoe. The Seattle cops, well, they don't like this. To wit:

"Our message has been the same from the beginning, if you see something that warrants calling 911, call 911," said Seattle police spokesman Det. Mark Jamieson. "Just because he's dressed up in costume, it doesn't mean he's in special consideration or above the law. You can't go around pepper spraying people because you think they are fighting."

Oh really? Nice rules you got there, guy. Anyway, here's what he means by just going "around pepper spraying people" ...

A police report says while officers were at Alaskan Way and Columbia St., a woman approached officers and said "she and some of her friends had just been attacked and pepper sprayed by a male in a ‘Spider-Man costume'."

The woman told police they had left a nightclub and were walking to their cars under the viaduct, and had "stopped in the street and began dancing and frolicking around with each other" when they saw "a person in some type of black and gold costume, wearing a matching mask running full sprint towards her and her group."

The report says the masked man-who police sources have identified as Phoenix Jones-pepper sprayed the group.

To that end, Rain City Superhero Movement leader Phoenix Jones — aka Benjamin John Francis Fodor — was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault for allegedly "using pepper spray on four people who were treated by medics." He posted $3,800 bail and will appear in court on Thursday to face the Law of Man.

Seattle's 'superhero' Phoenix Jones bound for court [Seattle Times]

More Details On Phoenix Jones' Arrest [PubliCola]