September 19, 2020
Watch: So-Called 'Captain America' In Jail after Tearing Down Pride Flag, Attempting Assault
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A homeless man known as "Captain America" because of his habit of wearing an American flag-like cape is behind bars after tearing down a restaurant's Pride flag and attempting to assault the owner, reports local news channel NBC 2.
The suspect was identified in a police report as Jason Jacque, 38, who has a record for human trafficking and drugs, the news channel reported.
Jacque reportedly stepped up onto a table on the sidewalk outside the Standard restaurant in Fort Myers in order to reach the flag. Owner Chris Blauvelt says he saw Jacque taking the flag down from above the table, and told NBC that the restaurant's Pride flag had been stolen three times before. He suspects Jacque to have been responsible for the repeated thefts, telling the news channel, "This is the second time I caught him in the act."
Blauvelt called the police and followed as Jacque walked down the street, away from the restaurant. At one point, Blauvelt said, the suspect attempted to hit him with the flag's metal rod.
"I stepped back and I followed him five steps behind all the way to the marina before the police showed up," Blauvelt recounted.
Blauvelt wasn't the only witness: Security cameras across the street took footage of Jacque climbing onto the table, reaching up, and removing the flag before stepping down to the pavement once more.
Jacque faces charges of "property damage, aggravated assault, and criminal mischief," NBC 2 reports.
Watch the news clip below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
