Fake Fight Gets Banana-Boy Arrested

[matcom]

<snip>

HUDSON FALLS -- Banana Boy is supposed to be a superhero. But his powers couldn't get him out of a trip to the village police station Thursday afternoon.

An actor playing the part of a mythical superhero by the name of Banana Boy was arrested Thursday along with two of his friends after police came upon what appeared to be a fight in a Main Street parking lot.

They came under police scrutiny because they were acting out a fight in which one of the actors, Luke Van Scoy, 17, of South Glens Falls, accosted a man wearing a large yellow banana custom with a knife.

Yes, the man in the banana costume is Banana Boy. When he's not a superhero, he's Chris Phelps, 20, of South Glens Falls.

Their skit was being filmed for a Glens Falls TV station by Phelps' older brother, Jonathan Phelps.

Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Shawn Lovelace was driving on Main Street shortly after 2 p.m. when he saw a group of people on Main Street pointing to the parking lot across from Eckerd pharmacy, where Banana Boy was doing his thing.

"I saw they were fighting, got out and saw one of them had a knife," Lovelace said.

Not knowing the combat was fake, Lovelace drew his handgun and ordered all three to the ground, an order they quickly complied with, he said.

The knife turned out to be a realistic, spring-loaded replica of a switchblade, Hudson Falls Police Sgt. Todd Lemery said. Hudson Falls Deputy Police Chief Randy Diamond said bystanders were yelling "He's stabbing him," when Lovelace got out of his car.

They were charged with disorderly conduct, a non-criminal violation, because they caused a traffic tie-up and possible public safety problem by not letting police know they were going to be performing the skit, said Hudson Falls Police Detective Curt Pedone.

Sitting in the back of a police car, Chris Phelps -- his large banana costume bent over to fit in the car -- and Van Scoy said the scene was part of their television show, called "The Ravacon," which chronicles the exploits of Banana Boy. It is broadcast on WNCE-TV8 Saturday nights at 11 p.m.

http://www.poststar.com/story.asp?storyid=2208

[underpants]

1. Funny that a guy in that getup would get beat up

Tha adventures of Banana boy..... DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO WITH YOU TIME??? (like I am one to talk)

[Hugin]

2. Thank goodness...

This didn't happen on a plane.

Could've ended much worse.