Seattle 'superhero' Phoenix Jones bails out, hits the streets

SEATTLE — Seattle's self-style superhero Phoenix Jones wrote on his Facebook page that he was back on patrol Monday night.

He had to wear a backup costume after police seized his black and yellow outfit Sunday when they arrested him for investigation of assault. He is accused of using pepper spray on four people who were dancing after leaving a nightclub.

Jones, whose real name is Benjamin John Francis Fodor, says he was trying to break up a fight when he was attacked. He spent about seven hours in jail before posting $3,800 bail. Jones is due in court Thursday.

A volunteer spokesman for Jones, Los Angeles-based photographer Peter Tangen, told The Seattle Times that Jones saw two men getting "viciously beaten" by a group of people and broke up the fight. He blamed police for not investigating the incident fully.

Phoenix Jones told PubliCola he felt “betrayed” by Seattle police, but remained undeterred from his personal crime fighting mission.

“One cop just happens to have a vendetta, and he was the arresting officer,” Jones told PubliCola.

Jone's supporters have posted a 14-minute video (with too many obscenities for us to be able to embed) that they say shows Jones was trying to break up a fight.

Police spokesman Mark Jamieson says you can't go around pepper-spraying people because you think they're fighting.

Jones says he's the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement.

On the Web:

• YouTube video: “A local man said he came within seconds of having his car broken into, and perhaps stolen, until a real-life "superhero" came to his aid, wearing tights, a mask and a skin-tight super suit.”

• Phoenix Jones on Real Life Superheroes

• The Daily Beast: Meet the Superhero Vigilantes