Wisdom from (ab)Normals

Phoenix Jones is a real-life superhero without any superpowers. I guess that just makes him a hero. He has been patrolling the streets of Seattle since mid-2010. The first major story about him came in January 2011, when Seattle's CBS affiliate covered the story of Jones stopping a car theft.

On October 9, 2011, he was arrested for breaking up a street brawl (the video below), charged with misdemeanor assault, and outed as Benjamin Fodor. Now he faces the situation that Spider-Man always dreaded, the public knowing his real name. It raises some new complications like being fired from his day job of teaching life skills to autistic children and facing whether to receive endorsements.



Phoenix Jones Stops Assault from Ryan McNamee on Vimeo.
On, November 23, 2011, charges were dropped. What I like about Jones, despite being a little crazy, is that he is out there in the streets of Seattle doing what needs to be done. It is crazy that this is the place we have come to. It seems that every city has an area that the police force has just given up on. Jones patrols that neglected area and makes a difference.

In his statements, District Attorney Peter S. Holmes said: 

 “Mr. Fodor is no hero, just a deeply misguided individual. He has been warned that his actions put himself in danger, and this latest episode demonstrates that innocent bystanders can also be harmed.”

In Jones' press release stating his release, he rebutted:

Holmes claims I am a 'deeply misguided individual.' My concern about that statement is if I am 'misguided' while out on the streets of Seattle protecting people from violent assaults...would a 'guided' person just keep walking and allow someone to be kicked repeatedly in the head?

Phoenix Jones is weird. A great weird. This world needs a little more weird.