Real Life Superhero Arrested

Another reminder that superheroes are, alas, not nearly as awesome in real life.

LINK TO THE SAD TALE OF PHOENIX JONES

That's why you never insert yourself into anything and then pepper spray what you're inserted in.

Reality sucks sometimes.

I saw the thread title and said to myself, "That's Phoenix Jones, isn't it?"

Yeah.

That's a pretty cool costume/pic. Very menacing.

However if you watch the video of the incident it's obvious that the group was fighting, not dancing. Phoenix tried to break it up, got attacked, pepper sprayed a couple of the guys that came at him. There was one crazy woman who kept coming after him hitting him with a shoe or purse or something and he didn't fight back against her. Then somebody jumped in a car and tried to run over some of the group and managed to clip one of them.

The cops were willing only to take the statement of the people who claimed Phoenix assaulted them. When the camera man and another person who was there documenting Phoenix's patrol for a book he is writing tried to talk to the police and give their statements they were told to leave the area immediately or get arrested for being accomplices.

It's okay -- most superheroes run afoul of the police early on in their careers.

After seeing the video, I'm on Phoenix Jones' side on this one.

So dude goes in to stop a fight and tells people to call the authorities which is what you should do. He then get's attacked, the camera crew with him gets attacked, and then the cops come up and tell them to stop filming and arrest the dude in the right?

I can understand why they arrested Phoenix though and it's largely the film crews fault how he reported what was happening over the phone, however, the police in the area should know these guys' MO already so shouldn't have arrested Jones especially since he obviously was cooperating and the one trying to stop the assault... and the cops should not have said anything to the film crew either other than asking to see the tape.

So I find fault with everyone in this situation other than the Phoenix Jones... and personally I would have done a lot more than pepper spray people once they pushed the guy in the wall and made it clear they weren't going to go away with just being sprayed.

The cops there have just been looking for an excuse to bust this guy, and I understand their reasoning. They want him off the streets before he gets himself or someone else hurt or killed.

However, in this case they were a little over-zealous. He didn't do anything illegal, it's on tape and they are going to get a lot of bad press over this.

But, they did reveal his identity which up until now was not known, and for a good reason. The guy has a girlfriend and two kids, he can't afford to put them in danger. Looks like his career as a "masked hero" is over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperstrike English does not borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, hits them over the head, and rifles through their pockets for loose grammar.

He clearly has no understanding of the law. His actions have probably made him open to complaints and charges from the people involved in the brawl and the police had no choice but to arrest him. It would be very difficult for him to make the case of self defense or even citizens arrest because, as the video shows, they did not see who was at fault and who were the victims, he simply sprayed everyone with pepper spray which may be considered assault with a weapon under the law and he could face jail time or suits.