Man asks Trump for pardon after storming Capitol
Jan 15, 2021
Washington [US], January 15 : A man who donned fur, horns and red, white and blue face paint while storming the US Capitol last week is now requesting a pardon from President Donald Trump.
According to The Hill, the man identified as Jacob Anthony Chansley, who also goes by the name "QAnon Shaman", turned himself in to authorities on Saturday after he travelled to Washington, DC, at Trump's call for "patriots" to take a stand against the 'rigged' presidential election results.
His lawyer Albert Watkins is now making a plea for a pardon, stating that Chansley was not involved in the Capitol violence and surrendered peacefully.
"My client had heard the oft-repeated words of President Trump," Watkins said, according to local CBS station KMOV4 as quoted by The Hill and added, "The words and invitation of a president are supposed to mean something."
"Given the peaceful and compliant fashion in which Chansley comported himself, it would be appropriate and honourable for the president to pardon Mr Chansley and other like-minded, peaceful individuals who accepted the president's invitation with honourable intentions," the lawyer said further.
Chansley is currently facing charges including "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority" and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Following the days of the riot, Chansley said that he did not do anything wrong.
On January 6, a group of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol to protest legislators confirming electoral slates from battleground US states they thought were invalid.
Trump had made a speech among thousands of supporters reiterating his claim a massive voter fraud had robbed his election victory and encouraged supporters to maintain support to "stop the steal."
Five people died in the riot, including one police officer as well as one Air Force veteran and Trump supporter who was shot dead by police.
