‘Q Shaman’ Moved To New Jail After Judge Orders All-Organic Diet

Topline

Federal authorities on Thursday moved Jacob Chansley — the horned helmet-wearing “Q Shaman” who entered the U.S. Capitol building last month — to a new jail willing to feed him organic food, following a nine-day-long fast that ended with Chansley losing 20 pounds and a federal judge siding with his religious request for an all-organic diet.

Key Facts

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled Wednesday afternoon Chansley should get organic food, but the city-run jail in Washington, D.C. said it can’t comply with this order, prompting federal officials to find a new jail for him in nearby Alexandria, Va.

Chansley said he hadn’t eaten since arriving at the D.C. jail early last week because his strong belief in shamanism makes an all-organic diet — which the jail refused to provide — both religiously and medically necessary, and Lamberth sided with Chansley because his willingness to go nine days without food seemed to prove his beliefs are sincere.

Defense attorney Albert Watkins told Forbes the D.C. jail reacted to Lamberth’s order by offering Chansley a meal it said was organic, but that food gave him abdominal pain, leading the D.C. Department of Corrections to decide it can’t meet his dietary needs and he should be transferred to a different detention center.

The D.C. Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for comment.

Crucial Quote

“While the actions of the D.C. Department of Corrections are disappointing, in this era of COVID-19 related protocols, we must not use this as a basis to castigate the DC DOC,” Watkins said in a statement. “Instead, we should embrace the candor employed to be forthcoming about the DC facility’s inability to comply with the Order of a federal judge.”

Surprising Fact

Chansley’s religious views first surfaced in court shortly after he was arrested in Phoenix last month. He didn’t eat for his first weekend in federal custody because a Phoenix jail wouldn’t offer him organic food, leading federal authorities to eventually grant his request for a special diet, but after he was moved to D.C. last week, the new jail rejected the same request.

Key Background

Carrying a six-foot spear and donning a fur helmet, Angeli is one of the most recognizable members of the mob that broke into the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6. Like hundreds of others accused of breaching the Capitol, he was arrested last month and charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct. Watkins says Chansley is nonviolent, arguing he went to the Capitol because he thought he was obeying former President Donald Trump’s wishes.

Further Reading

RJudge Orders ‘Q Shaman’ To Get Organic Food After Weeklong Fast (Forbes)

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