Group Dresses As Superheroes To Combat Crime

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

UNDATED -- A lot of people are sick of crime. Some might even wish for a superhero to emerge like in comic books to fight the bad guys and stand up for the innocent.

Well, a new movement is doing just that. It's called Real Life Superheroes. Ordinary people fight crime while wearing superhero costumes.

When you first hear about this, it sounds pretty funny, grown up in tights and capes, running around town, but to the folks involved in the real life super hero group, it's a serious mission.

They go by the names like Knight Owl, Nyx and DC's Guardian. They take to the streets in cities all over the nation. Their goal is to stop crime in its tracks.

Members of the real life super hero movement say they are men and women with families and ordinary day jobs, who at night become a crime fighter, a helper of the homeless, a do-gooder with the best of intentions.

They say they are not kooks in costumes, but a radical response to a radical problem. They say they are not vigilantes, but are there to help fight against evil.

"I don't go around looking for people who parked their car wrong; I go after acts of violence," Phoenix said.

Many wear bullet proof vests under their costumes, they carry tasers and nightsticks. Some say they've been stabbed, even shot at and say they wear the masks to protect their families, but, police here hope the movement does not leap into Oklahoma.

"It's something that is so dangerous to do," said Tulsa Police Sergeant Mike Huff.

Veteran homicide detective Mike Huff says real crime fighting takes training. Plus, it's tough for officers to tell the good guys from the bad guys if they're all wearing masks.

"It's great they want to volunteer, great they want to help, but there are a lot of legitimate organizations they can join and participate in helping people," Sergeant Huff said.

In fact, it's against the law in Oklahoma to go into a business wearing a mask. Any mask.

You can see the allure of this type of street justice in these times of high crime, but police say costumes are best used just for Halloween.