Seattle 'superhero' loses day job after arrest

SEATTLE?? An arrest, an unmasking and now the loss of his day job teaching autistic kids won't keep self-proclaimed Seattle superhero Phoenix Jones from his mission of patrolling city streets.

In fact, said Phoenix Jones, whose real name is Benjamin John Francis Fodor, 23, he'll have more time to protect the public from criminals.

"As a result of my new found free time I will be starting day patrols when I'm not looking for work," Jones said Wednesday night in a Facebook post. "The real losers here are the kids that won't understand why I'm not able to see them anymore."

Story: Unmasked Seattle superhero vows to keep fighting crime

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On Oct. 9, Fodor was arrested after pepper-spraying a group of people he said were fighting as they left a Seattle nightclub. He spent about seven hours in jail before posting $3,800 bail.

However, prosecutors never charged Fodor despite an Oct. 13 Seattle court appearance where he publicly unmasked his real identity while wearing his familiar charcoal and yellow protective suit. The case is still being reviewed, prosecutors say.

Fodor told PubliCola, a Seattle news site, that he has taught life skills to five developmentally disabled autistic children, ages 4 to 18, for the past five years at their homes and in state care facilities. He shops with them, teaches them to balance checkbooks and goes for walks, he said.

Fodor received a state Department of Social and Health Services letter informing him he is no longer allowed to work with kids, PubliCola reported.

"It basically just said that effectively immediately, I was no longer able to work with disabled or autistic children," Fodor told NBC station KING. "The reason is because I was put on a list of people who interject themselves into dangerous situations and some government agency put me on that list."

But on Facebook, he told his more than 38,000 followers, "I realize when you make a stand against crime sometimes it fights back. I have always assumed my body could be injured or I could be seriously hurt. I never assumed I would lose a job that I have had for 5 years, for not being charged with assault."

As Phoenix Jones, Fodor leads the Rain City Superhero Movement, which has conducted late-night patrols in Seattle since last year.

Fodor also goes by "Flattop" when he fights in the local mixed martial arts scene.

His tactics have not won him praise from Seattle police, who say people should just call 911 when they suspect crime.

Story: Costumed crusaders taking it to the streets

Facebook followers Wednesday lavished praise on Jones and asked if they could donate to his cause.

"I do not understand how they fired you based upon allegations that are unproven (actually, the video proves that the police were wrong)," said one fan identified as Chris DeLong.

"PJ fans, lets unite and show support by starting a donation page to help our hero keep the streets safe! Who's with me?" wrote a fan identified as Evan Morgan.

Jim Gold of msnbc.com contributed to this story.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45143935/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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