Jon Schaffer, the guitarist of Tampa heavy metal giants Iced Earth, is set to be held in jail without bail until the trial for his involvement in the Trump mob that stormed the Capitol back in January.
Schaffer, an outspoken political conservative, has been spotted at a number of pro-Trump rallies in the past. In an article published by German publication Die Welt back in November, Schaffer was photographed and interviewed attending a Donald Trump rally of 10,000 in Washington.
“They will go under. They mess with the wrong people, believe me,” he told the publication at the time.
Schaffer was arrested on January 18th for his involvement in the insurrection, after he was identified in photos from the riots. Following his arrest, his Iced Earth bandmates publicly denounced him, writing “We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots.
“We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions.”
As Indiana news station WUSA-9, report, Schaffer is facing six charges for his involvement in the riot, including engaging in a violent act while at the Capitol building after allegedly bear spraying a police officer.
However, Schaffer’s attorneys have argued that the guitarist did not act violently during the January 6 riots, claiming that he “left the Capitol after approximately sixty seconds and returned home to Indiana”.
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“Mr. Schaffer is 53 years old,” attorney Marc Victor wrote in a court motion. “He has no criminal convictions. He does not have a substance abuse or mental health issue. He has no history of violence and was not violent on January 6, 2021. He entered the Capitol with pepper spray. He did not threaten anyone with or discharge the spray.”
However, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui was firm on his decision not to grant bail, citing Schaffer’s comments to a reporter during a MAGA rally last year, where the musician said: “If somebody wants to bring violence, I think there’s a lot of us here that are ready for it.”
