Cannibal Corpse Guitarist Arrested For Assaulting A Cop After His House Caught Fire
Cannibal Corpse guitarist Patrick O’Brien was arrested last night for breaking into a neighbor’s yard and assaulting a cop while his house burned in a fire. Loudwire and NBC affiliate WFLA report that O’Brien fled his house in Northdale, Florida after it caught fire with military-style flamethrowers and exploding ammunition inside, which detonated due to the flames.
Around the same time, police responded to a call about a burglary in progress at a nearby home. According to the arrest report, O’Brien entered a stranger’s home without invitation and refused to leave, pushing the woman who lived there to the ground and fleeing into the backyard.
When the cops arrived at the scene, they found O’Brien hiding behind a fence near the house. He charged at them with a knife before being taken down with a taser. He was arrested and charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon.
A Hillsborough County judge set O’Brien’s bond at $50,000 on Tuesday morning. He is required to complete a drug test before he’s able to bond out of jail. The house fire took about an hour to contain, and officials are still investigating to determine the cause.
UPDATE: The band has shared a statement:
As a band and as individuals, we all want nothing but the best for our brother and partner, Pat. While we can offer no further information about the incident, we wanted everyone to know that Pat is getting the help he needs and appreciates the love and support from Cannibal Corpse fans around the world. Pat is currently with family and friends and looks forward to a healthy return at some point. For anyone wondering, all Cannibal Corpse touring will happen as planned and all shows will be played.