One of the most memorable of this summer’s HBO documentary series was Superheroes, which followed a number of different self-appointed, costumed crime fighters (all varying levels of delusional) as they went about their nightly business. One such superhero is “Phoenix Jones,” aka Ben Fodor, who moonlights as an 11-0 amateur MMA fighter. Jones was recently arrested for assault in Seattle after pepper spraying a bunch of people (to break up a street fight, Jones says). He posted video of the incident in question that you can watch below, and… hot damn, is that a fat dude in clown make-up trying to fight off a chick coming at him with her high heel? Jesus, this video really has everything.
(nothing much happens after the seven-minute mark)
To be fair, I don’t know for sure that this guy is a Juggalo, but when I see a fat guy in black and white clown paint I just sort of assume.
Fodor told Seattle Police Department officers that he “observed a fight disturbance” and “ran into the crowd to break up the fight.” He did this by deploying pepper spray against “several individuals in the group,” according to a police report.
Investigators noted that the victims denied fighting in the street, and that they wanted Fodor “to be arrested for attacking them.” Cops confiscated Fodor’s costume, mask, and two cans of pepper spray, which were “packaged for evidence.”
As reported by police, Fodor “belongs to a group who refer to themselves as superheros,” and has “had a history of injecting himself in these incidents.” Recently, cops added, “there have been increased reports of citizens being pepper sprayed” by Fodor and his delusional companions. Although Fodor “has been advised to observe and report incidents to 911, he continues to try and resolve things on his own.”
Shortly before the incident that resulted in his arrest, cops received a report that Fodor had pepper sprayed several other nightclub patrons. While those individuals had departed by the time cops arrived, officers “noted the odor of pepper spray was still in the air.”
Charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, Fodor spent about seven hours in custody yesterday before bonding out. [SmokingGun via Fightlinker]
Upon further viewing, it seems the fat guy with Juggalo paint is one of the “superheroes,” (who, to be fair, did just seem to be defending themselves from some meatheads too drunk and dumb to realize that it probably isn’t a great idea to run at a guy holding a big can of pepper spray). Again, I don’t know for sure that he’s an actual Juggalo, but I like to imagine that he calls himself “Hatchetman” and wears a utility belt full of Faygo and Space Cakes.