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Psychological exam ordered for 'QAnon Shaman' arrested after Capitol riots

Capitol riots man with horns Jacob Chansley
Posted at 9:38 PM, May 21, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-22 00:38:35-04

PHOENIX — Jacob Anthony Chansley, better known as the "QAnon Shaman," has been ordered to get a psychological examination following his arrest after the U.S. Capitol riots in January.

According to court documents from Friday, Chansley was ordered to "be committed to the custody of the Attorney General of the United States...for a period not to exceed 30 days for placement in a suitable facility for a competency examination."

The documents state that if or until he is found competent to stand trial, legal proceedings will be paused.

Chansley, who also goes by the name Jacob Angeli, is a 33-year-old QAnon conspiracy theorist and was a frequent participant in pro-Trump rallies in Phoenix in the months leading up to the 2020 election. He often appeared at those rallies in a costume of horns, fur headdress and tan pants with no shirt.

Jacob Chansley
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Chansley made a written apology from jail, asking for understanding as he was coming to grips with his actions. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

He refused to eat in custody unless he was given organic food. Lawyers say his "shamanic belief system and way of life" required him to eat only organic food.

Chansley was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He surrendered himself to Special Agents at the FBI Phoenix Field Office in Phoenix.

RELATED: Lawyer of Arizona man wearing horns during U.S. Capitol riots asking President Trump for pardon

During his first court appearance in January, Chansley claimed he had done nothing wrong.

Lawyer of Arizona man wearing horns during U.S. Capitol riots asking President Trump for pardon

Five people — including a Capitol police officer — died during the Jan. 6 riots. Two Capitol police officers who were on duty that day have since died by suicide.

Chansley and other Capitol riot suspects apologized and expressed regret as the ramifications after the riot led to potential job losses, financial ruin and possible time behind bars.