Cannibal Corpse Guitarist Pat O’Brien Arrested and Charged with Burglary and Aggravated Assault

Update, 3:17pm EST: A subsequent report has revealed that O’Brien was brought to court for arraignment wearing a suicide vest with shackles around his ankles and wrists, and that officers initially had to stun him with a taser to arrest him. Read the latest here.

Original Post:

Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien, age 53, has been arrested and charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, according to Floridian NBC associate WFLA.

Authorities were reportedly called to O’Brien’s home in Northdale, FL when it “caught fire with exploding ammunition inside.” While firefighters struggled to put out the fire despite the exploding ammunition, O’Brien was allegedly robbing someone:

“Around the same time the house caught fire, the sheriff’s office got a call about a burglary in progress at a nearby home on Windflower Circle. An arrest report shows O’Brien went in the house without permission and ignored orders from the family to leave.

“A sheriff’s office supervisor says O’Brien pushed a woman down inside the house then went into the backyard.

“Deputies responding to the burglary found O’Brien hiding behind a fence near his home. They say O’Brien charged at them with a knife. Deputies then took him down and arrested him.”

In the state of Florida, both of the crimes O’Brien is accused of committing are considered first degree felonies. In the case of the aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer charge, the penalty could be a prison term up to thirty years; the charge of burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault is even more serious, as it carries a penalty of a fine up to $10,000 and a potential lifetime prison sentence.

Cannibal Corpse have not issued a statement at this time. Yesterday, the band was announced as one of the support acts for the next North American leg of Slayer’s farewell tour.

We will, of course, continue to update you on this story as it develops.

Thanks: Ranpal C.