US judge orders mental evaluation of Capitol riot's 'QAnon Shaman'
The judge said the examination should
include an assessment as to whether Chansley cannot understand the
criminal charges against him or assist in his own defense.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Friday ordered a mental health assessment for Jacob Chansley,
the man nicknamed the "QAnon Shaman" who was widely photographed
wearing a horned headdress inside the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot
by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
US
District Judge Royce Lamberth said he determined that a "competency
examination" of Chansley was warranted and ordered that a "psychological
examination be conducted." The judge said the examination should
include an assessment as to whether Chansley cannot understand the
criminal charges against him or assist in his own defense.
Chansley, of Arizona, currently faces six federal charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct.
He was among hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol
after Trump gave a fiery speech repeating his false claims that the
2020 presidential election was stolen from him. The mob interrupted the
formal congressional certification of President Joe Biden's election
victory and the riot left five people dead.
Lamberth's
order said that Chansley should be committed to the custody of the US
attorney general for "placement in a suitable facility for a competency
examination" by one or more psychiatrists or psychologists.
Chansley's
lawyer, Albert Watkins, said that his client needs healthcare. Watkins
said that although Chansley was one of the most recognizable
participants in the riot thanks to his headdress, face paint and
extensive tattoos, he was not dangerous.
"He was not violent. He did not assault. He did not steal or destroy while he was in the Capitol," Watkins said.
Chansley,
a Navy veteran, was a follower of QAnon, a conspiracy theory that casts
Trump as a savior figure and elite Democrats as a cabal of Satanist
pedophiles and cannibals.
Being
found incompetent can potentially spare a defendant from being
prosecuted. However, such a finding also would require the court to
commit the person to a hospital in a federal prison for treatment to try
to restore competency.
If
a person's competency cannot be restored and he or she cannot stand
trial, there is still a chance the government could keep the defendant
detained if he or she is deemed to pose a danger to the public.
Source: Jerusalem Post