The mother of the horned man among a group of protesters that besieged the US Capitol last week said her son hasn't eaten since he was arrested on 9 January. Martha Chansley told reporters that Jacob refuses to eat because his detention facility does not provide an "organic diet".
"He needs to eat. I really need to speak to my son", Martha Chansley said, adding that her son gets very sick if he doesn't eat organic food.
The man's lawyer offered his version of the situation. Gerald Williams said Jacob refuses to take meals due for religious or health reasons.
Judge Deborah Fine told the lawyer to resolve the issue with the US Marshal's office. "Mr Chansley needs to eat", the judge said.
Jacob's mother maintains that he is innocent. "It takes a lot of courage to be a patriot, ok, and to stand up for what it is that you believe. Not everybody wants to be the person up front", she said, adding that he is "one of the gentlest" people she knows.
What Happened?
On 6 January, thousands of Trump supporters forced their way into the US Capitol as members of Congress gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, however the Republican refused to concede defeat and alleged that the election was rigged and that Biden won thanks to widespread voter irregularities, a claim that is strongly backed by his allies and supporters. On the day Congress convened to certify Biden's victory Trump held a rally that fired up his supporters, saying:
"We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women", Mr Trump told the audience.
Hours later Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building and staged a protest inside. The action left five people dead, including a police officer.
Picture of a shirtless Jacob Chansley dressed in a coyote headdress with horns and wearing red, white, and blue paint on his face appeared all over media.
Jacob Chansley, AKA Jake Angeli, Arizona man makes first court appearance in for charges related to storming the U.S. Capitol. His mom says he hasn't eaten since Friday because the detention facility won't feed him all organic food. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/doTLFal4At
— Melissa Blasius (@MelissaBlasius) January 11, 2021
Chansley himself insists he did nothing wrong and simply walked through an open door.
Democrats blamed the mayhem on Capitol Hill on Trump and introduced an impeachment article against the president. The resolution, which was blocked by House Republicans, accuses Trump of "incitement of insurrection".
