‘QAnon Shaman’ may retrieve ‘spear and helmet’ from Jan. 6 riot: Judge

Jacob Chansley, known online as the “QAnon Shaman,” has been granted permission by a federal judge to reclaim his iconic horned helmet and spear from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protest.

Chansley, who became a central figure during the protest due to his distinctive and animalistic attire, had sought the return of his property, which had been seized and held by the Biden administration. His images were widely circulated in media reports, making him one of the most recognizable participants in the Capitol breach.

The defendant’s “unmistakable outfit” from that day included a horned coyote-tail headdress, red, white, and blue face paint, and a six-foot spear with a metal spearhead, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a six-page decision, describing the latter item as a “serious weapon.”

After pleading guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. During sentencing, Chansley expressed remorse for his actions, which the court noted in its decision.

Recently, Chansley filed a motion under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g) for the return of his property. Lamberth granted the motion, stating the government had not demonstrated a continued need for the items as evidence.

“The government has failed to establish that it still needs Mr. Chansley’s property as evidence,” the judge wrote. He pointed out that extensive video and photographic documentation of Chansley’s actions on Jan. 6 existed, diminishing the necessity of retaining his physical items.

The judge emphasized the legal principle that seized property, unless it is contraband or subject to forfeiture, should be returned to its rightful owner after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

“It is fundamental to the integrity of the criminal justice process that property involved in the proceeding, against which no Government claim lies, be returned promptly to its rightful owner,” Lamberth wrote.

It is not immediately clear when Chansley will once again be reunited with his materials from the Capitol protest.

The Washington Examiner contacted an attorney for Chansley.