The Department of Justice has released photos of arrested heavy metal guitarist Jon Schaffer wielding a can of bear spray during the Janua...
The Department of Justice has released photos of arrested heavy metal guitarist Jon Schaffer wielding a can of bear spray during the January 6 Capitol riot.
Schaffer - the founder of Iced Earth - was taken into custody in the Southern District of Indiana, according to the DOJ's running list of people being charged with federal offenses in connection with the riot.
Schaffer, 52, of Columbus, Indiana, turned himself in on Sunday in Indianapolis after finding out that he was wanted by federal authorities, the FBI tweeted Sunday.
The DOJ released this picture of a man believed to be Iced Earth band founder John Schaffer holding a can of bear spray that the FBI said he used against Capitol Police during the riot
Schaffer (left in 2010 and recently at right) was taken into custody on Sunday after turning himself to authorities in Indiana
He faces six charges stemming from his alleged actions at the Capitol, including violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, engaging in an act of physical violence in a Capitol Building and disrupting the orderly conduct of government business.
According to the FBI's Statement of Facts against Schaffer, he was named by 'numerous individuals' after the FBI asked for help in identifying him.
The FBI said that Schaffer was 'among the rioters who sprayed United States Capitol Police officers with “bear spray,” a form of capsaicin pepper spray sold by many outdoors retailers, as part of their efforts to push the officers back inside the Capitol and breach the Capitol Building themselves.'
He was seen in photos and surveillance arguing with Capitol Police inside the Capitol building, the FBI said.
Included in the Statement of Fact were multiple images the FBI said showed Schaffer in action at the Capitol.
The FBI released this image of a man believed to be Schaffer holding bear spray (in circle)
Authorities said Schaffer (in circle) wore a blue hooded sweatshirt under a tactical vest
Schaffer is one of dozens of people facing federal charges after they were seen at the Capitol during the January 6 riots. Pro-Trump supporters are pictured storming the Capitol that day
Among them was an image of a man - supposedly Schaffer - wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt under a tactical vest with a baseball cap that reads 'Oath Keepers Lifetime Member.' In the image, the man appears to be yelling and pointing what the FBI said is a can of bear spray at someone out of the camera's view.
The FBI said that the 'Oath Keepers' is an organization that claims to be a militia of former law enforcement and military personnel that had 'urged President Trump to declare Martial Law in order to prevent the Congress from certifying the Electoral College Results.'
The FBI said Schaffer (pictured) once called himself an 'anarchist' and claimed the 2016 Presidential Election had been rigged
The FBI did not state whether Schaffer had a police or military background, but did confirm that he was 'a person of some celebrity in the heavy metal music industry.'
The FBI said that Schaffer had called himself an 'anarchist' in an interview and had claimed that the 2016 Presidential election had been rigged, during a 2017 interview.
Schaffer was said to have attended the 'Million MAGA March' in Washington on November 14, 2020, and had worn the same hooded, blue sweatshirt that he was allegedly pictured in at the Capitol on January 6.
During the Million MAGA March, the FBI said that Schaffer told media that 'if somebody wants to bring violence, I think there’s a lot of us here that are ready for it. We don’t want that, but if they bring it we’re going to respond to that, trust me.'
He added that 'We’re not going to merge into some globalist, communist system, it will not happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes down to that, trust me.'
The November 2020 interview was conducted by Die Welt.
Members of Iced Earth addressed Schaffer's alleged involvement in the Capitol riot in Instagram posts.
'Some of you have been concerned by our silence, which we understand. We needed some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we made a statement,' bassist Luke Appleton and singer Stu Block wrote, according to Billboard.
'We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions.'
The note was signed by Block, Appleton, lead guitarist Jake Dreyer and drummer Brent Smedley.
Five people were killed during the riot at the Capitol Building on January 6, when Trump supporters swarmed the building while a joint session of Congress was underway.
The crowd broke into the building while lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College results confirming Joe Biden had won the 2020 Presidential Election in November, causing members of Congress and Vice President Pence to evacuate the building.
Dozens of people have been arrested and face federal charges in connection with the riot.
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