16 Nov 2012
An unusual incident happened in Seattle on Friday, November 9th, when local superhero persona Phoenix Jones fought a drunk loud mouth while bystanders and police officers stood by and watched.
The incident took place in the University District on University Way and 45th, where Jones and his band of brothers stopped the drunk man and his friends from smashing the hood of a car and smashing a window. “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. So me and my guys go over and split it up,” Jones told My Northwest.
The assailants then began to follow them after one of Jones’ friends called the police. By the time the police had arrived, the drunk man and Jones were ready to fight.
So why did the police stand by while all this was happening? The state of Washington permits “mutual combat,” where if two parties verbally agree to fight, then it is considered legal, as long as when one of the parties is incapacitated, the other backs down and walks away.
Criticism of the Seattle PD ignited when the video of the fight reached Youtube, gaining 450,000 views since this weekend. SPD Sergeant Sean Whitcomb defended the police officer’s actions, saying “I’m not going to second guess the officers who were out at the scene. . . We looked at the different options available to us and the officers on the scene were very patient, very calm. They did their best to de-escalate the situation.”
Fighting starts at the 6:40 mark. Jones, who is a mixed martial artist, won the fight.
To be honest, that guy totally deserved it. If only his friend could have gotten in on the action too. TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT, BRO. IT INCREASES YOUR STRENGTH BY 11.
