DOJ Opposes Return of QAnon Shaman’s Helmet and Spear

The Justice Department is opposing the return of a helmet and spear to Jacob Chansley, the Jan. 6 defendant famously known as the “QAnon Shaman.” Chansley, who completed his prison sentence for his role in the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack, filed a motion in May requesting the return of these items. He is also seeking to modify the terms of his supervised release due to recent developments in other Jan. 6 cases.

In a court filing on Friday, the government explained that the helmet and spear were used by Chansley to project strength during the Capitol assault, where he was one of the first to enter the building and led chants on the Senate floor. The DOJ wants to retain these items as evidence in case Chansley challenges his sentence further.

Chansley’s request comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision partially siding with another Jan. 6 defendant who contested an “obstruction of an official proceeding” charge. While the ruling directly affected only a few dozen cases, its full impact on over 1,400 related cases, including Chansley’s, will be determined by federal district and appellate courts.

Chansley pleaded guilty in September 2021 and received a sentence of more than three years from U.S. District Judge Royce Lambert in November 2021. During sentencing, Chansley expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating, “I am truly, truly repentant for my actions, because repentance is not just saying you’re sorry. Repentance is apologizing and then moving in the exact opposite direction of the sin that you committed.”