A self-professed vigilante, wearing a costume complete with fake muscles, bright yellow stripes and mask, has been arrested on assault charges after using pepper spray on several people during a street fight, as reported by The Associated Press from Seattle, WA.
B.J.F.F., known to some as costumed crusader "Phoenix Jones", 23, was arrested on Sunday, October 9 on four counts of assault and booked in county jail.
Seattle police spokesman, Detective Mark Jamieson, said, "Our message has been the same from the beginning, if you see something that warrants calling 911, call 911. 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."
B.J.F.F. claims that he was only involved to stop a street brawl from worsening. On the social networking site, Facebook, B.J.F.F. told his 4,400 friends that he would "never assault or hurt another person if they were not causing harm to another human being."
B.J.F.F. also released video allegedly shot in the incident. The film shows "Phoenix Jones", along with sidekick, "Ghost", running toward a group of people. The two crime fighters contend that the people were fighting, the police state that there was nothing that indicated that a fight was occurring.
Further in the video, "Phoenix Jones" is seen breaking the group up, a woman screaming and hitting him with her shoes, and what appears to be a can of pepper spray in his hand. A little later a BMW appears, then speeds away, almost running over an unidentified man.
"Phoenix Jones" gives chase to the vehicle, gets the license plate number and someone is overheard calling 911 to report a hit-and-run. "Jones" is then seen, with a group of his followers, returning to the group.
A woman's voice is heard to yell, "stay away" while another woman approaches "Jones", strikes him and says, "You sprayed (expletive) pepper spray in my eye!"
When two more men approach "Jones" the video shows him pepper spraying them as well.
"Phoenix Jones" has garnered the attention of the media in the last few months, including a camera crew that has been tracking his exploits against alleged criminals.
"Jones" has a volunteer spokesman, P.T., who claims that the police officers failed to show an interest in the hit-and-run they reported, but instead targeted their efforts against "Jones." P.T. said, "They're on a mission to stop Phoenix Jones from what he's doing, which is legal."
"Jones" told a local radio show that police officers took away his suit, boots and mask. But, he has a backup suit and promised to "be on patrol later tonight."
"Jones" claims only a few officers have a "grudge" against him.
One officer wrote in his report that "Jones" has "a history of injecting himself in these incidents. Recently there have been increased reports of citizens being pepper sprayed by ("Jones") and his group."
The police report continues to state that the costumed crusader "has been advised to observe and report incidents to 911, he continues to try to resolve things on his own."
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