Seattle MMA “Superhero” Fights Street Crime

First reported by KOMO News:

Phoenix Jones is a superhero.

He has a day job but wears a costume underneath his street clothes in case he encounters crime. He carries a “net gun” and has a sidekick named Buster Doe.

But this isn’t the plot from a Hollywood movie. There are no special effects. This is real-life and Phoenix patrols Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood every week- stopping fights, feeding the homeless and helping folks who have run out of gas.

“Everyone on my team either has a military background or a mixed martial arts background, and we’re well aware of what it costs to do what we do.”

Phoenix Jones says he wanted to become a superhero after a few incidents changed his mind about Seattle.

The first involved a friend getting assaulted outside a bar. The friend was left with permanent facial damage.

“And I thought, why didn’t someone help him? There were seventy people outside that bar and no one did anything,” he said.

The second incident was when someone broke into his car and his son was injured by the broken glass. His son had to spend the night in the ER and get stitches. He was later told that several people saw the break-in happen, but didn’t do anything.

Phoenix said, “Teenagers are running down the street, breaking into cars, and no one does anything? Where’s the personal accountability?”

Phoenix Jones Facebook update: “HAD A CRAZY DAY…I WENT TO A POLICE STATION IN MY SUPERSUIT AND ATE LUNCH WITH THE COMMISH OF POLICE. WE TALKED ABOUT CRIME AND HOW PEOPLE LIKE ME COULD HELP AND ENDED WITH HIM ASKING IF HE COULD TRY MY CAPE ON HAHAHA.”

Phoenix decided he would be different than all of those people who just stood by, not helping.

He began stepping into fights and helping people in need. But soon, he was getting recognized across town as ‘the guy who stops fights.’ He realized he was putting himself in danger.

“They’d recognize me and pick me out. I couldn’t do regular, every-day things anymore. So I started wearing the mask,” he said…

Selected comments from other forums…

chicago expat says:

frakkin’ unbelievable

I especially liked this outcome of their good deeds:
“The ‘costume-wearing complainants’ refused to press charges because they didn’t want to identify themselves to officers, Kappel said.”

So the violent suspect walked, because they want to remain unknown, masked vigilantes. Just like the Ku Klux Klan

seattledowntown says:

When you get saved by some nerd in blue tights driving his godmother’s Kia, you can pretty much hang up your hat and go home. Its pretty much all downhill from there.

messager says:

This would usually disturb me, but these people could be no worse than our present police force. They probably have higher ethical standards.

Mr. Ravenblade says:

Additionally, a lot of the Top Respected Members of the RLSH community that has existed for years without you – both in Seattle and internationally around the world – are not happy at some of your actions, and the claims of affiliation that you have made that have in turn damaged our collective reputations. We have worked hard to earn our reputations, so it is understandable that we are protective of them as they allow us to do greater good in the community and allow greater opportunities for us to make a difference and do good works that actively help the world become a better place.

The fact is you have publicly claimed to be one of us – A member of the Real Life Super Hero Community – means you have taken it on yourself to be bound to the many duties of being a RLSH that you have not been fulfilling. And RLSH is not a title you give yourself, it is a title you Earn and am given by the community you have claimed to be a part of. Technically the real title you have is “HIT” (Hero in training) or even “Super Hero In Training” (No offense intended by the acronym that creates)…

evil twin says:

i guess they werent satisfied with regulating the world of martial arts online. now bullshido is running street patrols too?

Lykos says:

I think it’s nice to at least see some citizens stepping up and trying to do something against the thugs, and from the article it sounds like some of the ways they help are actually pretty practical when you really look at it. Good for them for doing what they can with a little style. Better than the thousands of other people that just walk by and try to ignore crime and injustice.

Regarding Phoenix Jones’ recent citizen’s arrest of skinhead gang members, Blue Rlsh says:

Thats not cool! Is it possible to use diplomacy [instead]?

What do you think?