Phoenix Jones is getting charged with fourth-degree assault after pepper spraying four people in an attempt to "break up a fight."
Phoenix Jones, whose real name is Benjamin John Francis Fodar, was arrested early Sunday morning at around 3am for suspicion of fourth-degree assault. Jones claims that he witnessed two men getting "viciously beaten" and intervened the fight.
However, the pepper spray victims say that they were merely "dancing and frolicking with each other," not fighting, after having left a night club. The officers that arrested Phoenix state that they found no evidence of a brawl, but they may have failed to investigate key evidence.
A 14 minute video of the events that occurred that Sunday morning was shot by Peter Tangen, a photographer from Los Angeles who has been documenting Phoenix and his crew of superheroes. Tangen says that Jones was in fact breaking up a fight and that police viewed "less than a minute" of his footage before arresting Jones on suspicion of assault and taking him to King County Jail.
Phoenix Jones posted his $3,800 bail on Sunday afternoon, and his next court appearance is Thursday. Jones is apparently the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement and says that he is a symbol "That the average person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing."
Although it seems that Jones wants to help prevent violence in the city, the club-goers that he pepper sprayed denied being in any sort of fight and want to see him behind bar for attacking them. Jones and his crew have been reported increasingly for pepper spraying citizens. When Jones was arrested, police confiscated 2 cans of pepper spray from him. Authorities have begun to lose patience with the vigilantes. A Seattle police officer was recorded in a video saying: "Anyone else want to join this party? ... We're about to arrest the whole bunch of ya and clean things up. We're about tired of this game." The comment was directed Phoenix Jones and the men with him.
In the police report filed, officers say that they have advised Jones to contact 911 when he witnesses a crime but he continues to try to solve the problems on his own. The Seattle police spokesman, Jamieson, says that it isn't often necessary to use physical force in order to defuse a situation and, "If you're deploying pepper spray on people on the street, you have to have a good reason to do it or you'll be arrested for assault."
No more than three hours prior to police reporting to the scene where they arrested Phoenix Jones Sunday morning, the "superhero" had reportedly pepper sprayed other club-goers in "some kind of disturbance." No police report was filed for this incident because the people that had supposedly been sprayed, left the scene before police could arrive.
I just read someone else's blog who had written about the same thing and it was interesting to see what you different facts you both chose to include. I hadn't been informed previously that there was 14 minutes worth of footage, and that the police had only viewed a minute or so of it. I think thats very important to include, especially since the photographer taking the footage said that indeed there seemed to be a fight. Also, I really liked your use of photographs. They did not distract at all, and it was very good to read about the guy.. and then see what he looks like. nice!
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ReplyDeleteCassidy,
ReplyDeleteI am curious as to why you chose white text on a black background. I would consider revising your choices as this format makes it difficult for the reader to make it all the way through.
You effectively used quotations and visual rhetoric to support the structure and flow of your piece- well done!
I am assuming that your first and second paragraphs are combined to be considered your thesis. Did you consider stating a more concise thesis? The addition of a quote in your second paragraph seems out of place. You could have supported your thesis more so by adding a quote further on.
Otherwise, this piece is considerably well written.