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The assault on the Capitol

The QAnon shaman, who led the onslaught on the Capitol, was sentenced to 41 months in prison

Jacob Chansley became one of the most prominent symbols in Trump supporters' attack on Congress on Jan. 6, thanks to the horns he wore on his head and the fur on his body.

"I should have done what Gandhi would have done," Chansley apologized at the hearing, in a speech that aroused astonishment even on the part of the judge.

The defense claimed that he was suffering from mental problems

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• United States

• Capitol Hill

News agencies

Wednesday, 17 November 2021, 22:28

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In the video: The night of the attack on the US Congress (Photo: Reuters and from Twitter)

A federal court in the United States today (Wednesday) sentenced the "QAnon shaman" to three and a half years in prison for his involvement in the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill.

Jacob Chansley became one of the most recognizable faces in an attack on Congress by supporters of former President Donald Trump, thanks to the horns he wore on his head and the fur he wore on his body.

He was ahead of proponents of the QAnon conspiracy theory, who believe a dark conspiracy was forged against Trump.

The prosecution has asked District Judge Royce Lambert to hand him a longer sentence, 51 months in prison, after admitting in September that he had disrupted an official procedure while storming Congress, which was in the midst of confirming Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.

The sentence is similar to the one handed down last week to a former martial arts fighter who was documented assaulting a police officer during a riot.

More on Walla!

Documents from the Trump administration will be forwarded to the January 6 commission of inquiry: "A president is not a king"

To the full article

The assault symbol.

Chancellor in Congress (Photo: Reuters)

Chancellor after his arrest (Photo: AP)

Judge Lambert said he believes Chansley, who delivered a lengthy pre-sentence speech, did much to convince the court he was "on the right track." The judge, who has left Chansley in jail since his arrest despite his many attempts to win sympathy and release, may set guidelines for other judges in his sentence. Chansley, whose bizarre appearance has captured worldwide attention, arrived today for a discussion in a green prisoner uniform, with his head and face shaved.

He is one of the first of about 600 people on trial for their part in the attack on the Capitol. He was one of the first 30 rioters to enter the building, and managed to make his way to the Senate Hall urgently evacuated earlier by Vice President Mike Pence, leaving a note there. He also carried an American flag on a mast, which the prosecution claimed was a weapon. The judge asked a few individual questions - one about the note he left for Lantern and one about whether he knew about threats posed to Lantern's life, and his choices that day.

"He turned himself into a picture of the riots, right?" The judge told Chansley's defense attorney.

"For better or worse, he was the symbol of the whole event."

His lawyers have asked the judge to include his detention time, since January, as part of the sentence.

Prosecutor Kimberly Pascal posted several videos to show Chancley entering the Capitol and the Senate Hall, shouting along with the crowd.

"This is not a peaceful demonstration," she said, describing his part in the onslaught as "chaotic" and "scary."

Quotes from "Walls of Hope"

For more than half an hour, Chansley told the judge about the impact of the jail on him, and his remorse for breaking the law. He said he erred in breaking into the Capitol, and that he was not a rebel or a terrorist. His comprehensive speech caught the judge's attention, quoting Chief Justice Clarence Thomas and the film "Walls of Hope," describing that he wanted to live like Jesus and Mahatma Gandhi.

"The hardest part is knowing I'm to blame. Looking in the mirror and knowing, I really screwed up," Chansley said. "I was in isolation because of me. Because of my decision. I broke the law, I had to do what Gandhi would do and accept responsibility. There is no if or because, that's what a person with respect does. He promised never to return to prison.

"I think your words are the most extraordinary I've heard in 34 years," the judge told Chancellor, who described his speech as something "of the kind that Martin Luther King would say." However, the judge added: "What you did was as horrible as Indian",And he can not justify a shorter sentence.

Trump on the day of the break into the Capitol (Photo: AP)

After his arrest, Chansley asked Trump to pardon him and expressed disappointment when it did not happen.

He went on a hunger strike in an attempt to get organic food and was interviewed for the "60 Minutes" program from prison, without permission.

During his time in prison, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety.

His defense attorney, Albert Watkins, said the Navy had diagnosed him in 2006 as suffering from a personality disorder, but nevertheless ruled that he was "fit for service."

Trump was ousted by the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate of incitement to sedition, following a belligerent speech he delivered earlier to his supporters, in which he urged "fight like hell."

A special committee in the House of Representatives is investigating the events and some senior members of the previous administration, who refuse to cooperate and provide documents.

Trump is also waging a legal battle over the commission's demand for access to White House records from that day.

Four people were killed in the riots, and a Capitol police officer who was attacked by protesters died of his wounds.

About 140 police officers were injured, and four police officers who participated in the defense of the place have put an end to their lives in recent months.

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