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Phoenix Jones fist fight video goes viral

BY Jillian Raftery  on November 12, 2012 @ 11:53 am (Updated: 3:26 pm - 11/12/12 )


Phoenix Jones, Seattle's own superhero, joined the Dori Monson Show to discuss a video shot of him and a man engaging in "mutual combat" as Seattle police officers look on.

The self-styled "rain-city superhero" says he was called to action when he saw a man punching the window of a car on University Way early Friday morning. Phoenix, who regularly patrols Seattle streets looking out for this kind of aggression, called 911 and stepped in to prevent what he thought might be an assault in progress.

"He was over near this car, and he's been yelling at this car, slamming his fist on the hood, so I start to call 911 and he punches the window and the window cracks," said Phoenix. "So me and my guys go over and split it up."

The group started to walk away as the suspect in the video acted more and more aggressively toward Phoenix, trying to provoke him. The man followed them for blocks, yelling racial slurs.

It was only when the man threatened Phoenix and said he'd follow him home that Phoenix faced his aggressor.

"I'm not going to let someone follow me to my house," said Phoenix. "I'm not letting some guy who's violent with other people follow me home. It's not going to happen. If it had just been about him calling me the N-word, I would have walked it off, like I told the cops. It was just, the cop had said he was going to let that guy follow me. No one is going to follow me."

Dori noted that the fight was a mismatch from the beginning.

"I have a couple black belts and about 30 cage fights or so," said Phoenix of his mixed martial arts experience.

After clarifying the terms of legal "mutual combat" with his opponent and police officers standing by, the two men shook hands. Phoenix came out on top in the melee and backed off once his opponent went down.

Phoenix said he tried to cause minimal physical damage during the fight. He reasoned that if the man couldn't walk, he couldn't follow him home.

"What people are forgetting," said Phoenix, "Is that we agreed to fight until he falls down."

In the aftermath of the videotaped fight, however, Seattle police officers are having to justify their decision to stand by and watch the fight.

Phoenix argued that the police didn't have grounds to intervene, since they agreed to mutual combat, which has legal precedent under Washington state case law. Phoenix even carries a card in his pocket explaining the legality of a duel in the streets, where both parties consent to the fight and agree to the rules.

"No laws were broken," said Phoenix.

Dori has known Phoenix for years and knows how skilled and capable he is.

"Ben (Phoenix's mild-mannered alter-ego) grew up, what, three doors down from me," said Dori. "I've always thought you were a great young man, and now you're Phoenix Jones."

But despite his confidence in the superhero's skills, Dori still worries that his long-time friend will be seriously hurt patrolling our city streets.

"Someone has to protect this city. I chose this job," said Phoenix, "And I'm going to do it to the best of my abilities, and I understand the consequences."


Take our poll: Do you think Seattle Police officers should have interfered with the fight?

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (32)


  • Add A Comment

  • lacy124 wrote...
    "mutual combat"
    November 12, 2012 12:40 pm
    I can't believe we are holding up the cops on a call like this. Walk away!!! As you see in the video they walk away, but stop. Why didn't they just keep walking? On another note, that was pretty funny ;)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    A racial slur...
    November 12, 2012 5:06 pm
    Would stop many people and cause them to engage.

    It was legal. More power to him.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Averiella wrote...
    Walking away doesn't always help
    November 16, 2012 8:15 pm
    He didn't walk away because the man would've followed him home. Did you not read the article? If the man followed Jones home then Jones and his neighbors would be at risk of attacks and/or robberies.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    we need more superhero's
    November 12, 2012 2:34 pm
    the streets have spun out of control downtown and spreading out with alchohol charged anger
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    Guy in the orange shirt got owned
    November 12, 2012 3:04 pm
    Maybe he should have taken his shirt off like the other badass. SPD did right here, but it does look like they need to work on a better fitness program
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    PJ is the man!
    November 12, 2012 3:16 pm
    In case you missed it, he called the cops because the guy was punching (and yelling at, lol) a car. Not sure if it was the suspect's car or not, since the article does not state.

    However, most people today turn a blind eye to this and we have a lot of damaged cars/property with no one ever answering for it. TY PJ for calling the police. The rest could have been sorted out later.

    Also, keep in mind the dumbaxx continued to follow Jones even after he walked a distance away, numerous times. And he threatened to follow him all the way home.

    I am the last person who condones violence or thinks it solves problems. But, I am also realistic. When someone threatens to follow you home and do damage to you or others there, you have to stand your ground. And stand his ground he did. If this guy was dumb enough to challenge him, I feel no twinge of sorry for him.

    Some one once said "stupid is as stupid does". This guy obviously does stupid....

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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    After reading
    November 12, 2012 3:24 pm
    other articles in regards to this incident, the car that the dumbaxx was pounding on was not his. Worse yet, it had people in it whom the dumbaxx was threatening.

    PJ was even more justified for his actions in that case!!!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cows Rule wrote...
    OWNED!
    November 12, 2012 3:26 pm
    We need more super heroes.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • williamohoh wrote...
    The cop should be fired
    November 12, 2012 3:35 pm
    we don't need to apppeal to the bloodthirsty creeps in society. All involved are at the bottom of society. Violence appeals to the lowesy of society. Some creeps never satiate their thirst for blood.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    williamohoh
    November 12, 2012 4:37 pm
    you don't get out much, do ya?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sohojo wrote...
    I wonder
    November 12, 2012 5:01 pm
    If that superhero outfit will stop a bullet. He needs to be careful.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    I think I read that it's made of bullistic material...
    November 12, 2012 9:34 pm
    ... at least certain portions of it. I think I read that in an earlier interview. Still... the head certainly isn't.

    I worry about the publicity and that it will put a mark on him. Some dude is going to want to be the one to nail PJ.

    Unforutnately, if that happens, the polic will say "I told you so" instead of what they do when on eof their own gets it.

    He's hanging it all out there on his own.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @WAmoves right
    November 12, 2012 10:11 pm
    "bullistic material" for sure. As in he's full of bull_____..... Yeah, I would probably have fought the idiot that he fought too, but if Ol' wanna be super hero wasn't out there acting like a 6 year old playing superman, then he wouldn't have been in the situation in the first place. He's a lot like Paris Hilton and the entire Kardashian clan - famous for being nothing more than publicity hounds and nothing much else. He's not fighting crime - he's making a spectacle of himself and getting off on it. Just like them Paris Hilton and Kardashians.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ten4goodbuddy wrote...
    FormerMarineDouche
    November 13, 2012 10:24 am
    Ahhhahahaha, you are a fool. Did you get your butt handed to you by someone in a mask once? You bringing those trash women up just added to her hit count when searched. Morons like you made them famous, genius.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    Well Done Pheonix
    November 12, 2012 5:10 pm
    Good guy - 1

    Punk Thug -0

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bloodsurf69 wrote...
    Super
    November 12, 2012 5:48 pm
    When good Nerds go bad!!!! I want the first copy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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