Phoenix Jones Arrested

Seattle Police Arrest Phoenix Jones

CRIME   October 9, 2011 at 5:56 pm Jonah Spangenthal-Lee

Seattle’s most famous masked crusader was arrested early this morning by police after he allegedly pepper sprayed a group leaving a nightclub in Pioneer Square, according to SPD.

Seattle Police Department spokesman Jeff Kappel says the group was  leaving a nightclub at 1st Ave. and Columbia St. around 2:30 am and were reportedly “dancing and having a good time” when a man—identified by a police source as Jones—approached them from behind and pepper sprayed them.”

Police say two of the men chased Jones and struggled with him until officers arrived and separated the men.

According to a police department source, Jones claimed the group members were involved in a fight. The group said they had just come from a club.

Police arrested Jones and booked him into the King County Jail for assault. Jones was released from custody about seven hours later.

Jones was not immediately available for comment, but his spokesman Peter Tangen said he has seen videotape of the incident, which tells a different story.

Tangen says Jones had heard about a large fight where “somebody had just been body-slammed onto the concrete” and was rushing to help.

Jones apparently deployed his pepper spray to break up the fight.

Tangen—who claims police “seemed to have disregarded” a hit and run at the same scene, and failed to interview a cameraman and journalist who were with Jones, and had witnessed the fight—could not immediately provide PubliCola with a copy of the video.

“It’ll be interesting what [police] have to say when the video comes out,” Tangen said. “I’m very sure it’s going to show a different story than what police are saying.”

 Shameless Screen Grab courtesy of Publicola with special thanks to Malvado for finding and sharing, as an early Ubermas present.