Pat O’Brien from the metal band Cannibal Corpse appeared in court yesterday, Tuesday, December 11, wearing an anti-suicide vest. He was shackled while he addressed the judge after being held on Monday night accused of burglary, assault on a neighbor, and assault on a law enforcement officer
According to NME, the arrest came while his own home caught fire and began to burn down after explosive devices inside went off. He ran to a nearby home, allegedly entering without the homeowners’ permission. When asked to leave, he allegedly pushed a woman inside to the floor.
The police were called and were said to have found him in the backyard of the home in Northdale, Florida, hiding out. When they communicated with him, he is claimed to have charged at the officers with a knife in his hand. They reportedly had to use tasers to get him in custody.
He was put on a $50,000 bond, but the judge requested that he take a drug test before being allowed to be freed on bail.
Firefighters eventually got the house fire under control. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.
Investigators were still processing the scene Tuesday night, according to Tampa Bay, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are said to be doing their own investigation into the incident. ABC News reported this morning that the investigation revealed O’Brien had two military-style flamethrowers inside the home.
Fans of O’Brien reportedly started a fundraiser to pay for the bond, hoping to raise just under $6,000 to pay for the bond through a bail bondsman.
CANNIBAL CORPSE’s Pat O’Brien Bail Is Set To $50,000; Fan Launches Crowdfunding Campaign https://t.co/c0fx345GIa
— White Line Fever podcast (@WLF_podcast) December 12, 2018
A separate one has also been set up to help him hire a criminal defense attorney.
Cannibal Corpse was formed in 1988 in Buffalo, New York. The band has released 14 albums to date. The management team representing the band are yet to comment on the story.
The band have not said anything about the incident on Instagram, but posted that they were excited to be touring with Slayer in May 2019 as part of their farewell tour with fans. Cannibal Corpse will only be touring with Slayer in North America.
It’s unclear whether O’Brien’s arrest will affect the upcoming tour.