{{Short description|Legal term in the United States}} {{Distinguish|Combat sport}} '''Mutual combat''', a term commonly used in United States courts, occurs when two individuals intentionally and consensually engage in a fair fight,<ref name="SPI 2001-04-06">{{cite news|last=Heckman|first=Candace|date=April 6, 2001|title=Police break up teen boxing match at park|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Police-break-up-teen-boxing-match-at-park-1051435.php|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|location=Redmond, Washington|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref><ref name="The Daily Dot 2012-11-15">{{cite news|last=Martinez|first=Fidel|date=November 15, 2012|title=Civilian crime fighter knocks out disorderly man|newspaper=The Daily Dot|url=http://www.dailydot.com/news/phoenix-jones-fight-video/|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> while not hurting bystanders or damaging property. There have been numerous cases where this concept was successfully used in defense of the accused.<ref name="MYN 2012-11-12 #3">{{cite news|last=Shiers|first=Frank|date=November 12, 2012|title=Seattle police stand by and watch Phoenix Jones fistfight|url=http://mynorthwest.com/11/2126414/Seattle-police-stand-by-and-watch-Phoenix-Jones-fistfight|newspaper=KIRO-FM/MYNorthwest.com|publisher=Bonneville International|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> In some cases, mutual combat may result in killings.<ref name="LA Times 2001-08-28">{{cite news|last=Dolan|first=Maura|date=August 28, 2001|title=2 Rulings on Gangs Help, Hurt Prosecutors|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-28-me-39227-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref>
==Notable examples== In 2012, MMA fighter Ben Fodor, in character as Phoenix Jones, engaged in a street fight in Seattle; police officers did not intervene or make arrests afterward.<ref name="KING-TV 2012-11-09">{{cite news|last=Schauffler|first=Allen|date=November 9, 2012|title='Superhero' Phoenix Jones gets into street brawl as officers watch|url=http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Self-proclaimed-crime-fighter-Phoenix-Jones-gets-into-street-brawl--178243281.html|newspaper=KING-TV|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719101110/http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Self-proclaimed-crime-fighter-Phoenix-Jones-gets-into-street-brawl--178243281.html|archivedate=July 19, 2013|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> A video of the fight went viral.<ref name="MYN 2012-11-12 #2">{{cite news|last=Raftery|first=Jillian|date=November 12, 2012|title=Phoenix Jones fist fight video goes viral|url=http://mynorthwest.com/76/2126651/Phoenix-Jones-fist-fight-video-goes-viral|newspaper=KIRO-FM/MYNorthwest.com|publisher=Bonneville International|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> The Seattle Police Department later defended their officers for not intervening, with a police sergeant being paraphrased as stating "a rarely used city law allows fighting as long as both people agree to it, no bystanders are hurt, and no property is damaged."<ref name="MYN 2012-11-12 #3"/> Seattle Municipal Code 12A.06.025 appears to be the relevant statute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://clerk.seattle.gov/public/archives/historicsmc/2009/2009SMC_T012A%20-%20Title%2012A%20%20CRIMINAL%20CODE.pdf|title=Title 12A}}</ref>
Also in 2012, Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez engaged in mutual combat and were not charged.<ref name="Fox News Latino 2012-12-03">{{cite news|date=December 3, 2012|title=Gabriel Aubry Drops Restraining Order Against Olivier Martinez|url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/12/03/gabriel-aubry-drops-restraining-order-against-olivier-martinez/|newspaper=Fox News Latino|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> In 2014, after Zac Efron had engaged in a fight in Skid Row, law enforcement officials did not make any arrests because they viewed it as mutual combat.<ref name="Time 2014-03-27">{{cite news|last=Grossman|first=Samantha|date=March 27, 2014|title=Zac Efron Got Punched In the Face During a Brawl on Skid Row|url=https://time.com/40129/zac-efron-punched-in-face/|newspaper=Time|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref>
Mutual combat has been used to deny damage claims,<ref name="Reading Eagle 1966-11-16">{{cite news|date=November 16, 1966|title=Court Denies Pair Damages|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19661116&id=ci0rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A5gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6670,682072|newspaper=Reading Eagle|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> as a legal defense,<ref name="LA Times 2015-02-26">{{cite news|last=Serna|first=Joseph|date=February 26, 2015|title=Slain Fox exec was in 'mutual combat' with alleged killer, lawyer says|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-slain-fox-executive-fight-creech-20150226-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref> and to drop charges against fighting students.<ref name="Philly.com 2001-03-03">{{cite news|last=Boyer|first=Barbara|date=March 3, 2001|title=Abraham Drops Charges Against 3 Black Students Charged In A Racial Fight At A Northeast High School, Two Were Victims And One Was Not Involved, She Said.|url=http://articles.philly.com/2001-03-03/news/25327239_1_white-students-racial-slurs-black-students|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714123526/http://articles.philly.com/2001-03-03/news/25327239_1_white-students-racial-slurs-black-students|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2015|newspaper=Philly.com|access-date=March 9, 2015}}</ref>
== Oregon law == Oregon law specifically bans mutual combat, according to subsection three of ORS 161.215: "a person is not justified in using physical force upon another person if: the physical force involved is the product of a combat by agreement not specifically authorized by law."
==See also== * Duel * Street fighting * Trial by combat
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ga-supreme-court/1558244.html Supreme Court of Georgia about manslaughter involving mutual combat] Category:Combat Category:Legal terminology Category:Street culture Category:Violence {{law-term-stub}} {{cultural-anthropology-stub}}