Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O'Brien released from jail

Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien was released from jail last Friday, Dec. 14, after being arrested on burglary and assault charges following a home invasion and police encounter precipitated by a massive fire in the musician’s home.

O’Brien posted bond of $50,000, per Theprp.com. He’s charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, which carried a $30,000 bond, and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, which added another $20,000 to the amount.

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It all stems from the bizarre incident in which O’Brien reportedly burglarized a home and assaulted a sheriff’s deputy after his own house caught fire. And the blaze sent surrounding neighbors out of their homes after a brief period of evacuation.

Emergency crews responded to reports of a fire in Northdale, Florida just after 7 p.m. last Monday, Dec. 10, TV station WFTS 28 reported, but firefighters had trouble containing the inferno boosted by ammunition and “military-style” flamethrowers inside the home. (“It was like the end of a fireworks display,” a neighbor told WFLA 8. “That loud bang. It was crazy.”) And before it was even clear the house on fire belonged to O’Brien, a home invasion at a separate residence was unfolding a stone’s throw away.

Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O'Brien's mugshot booking photo.
Photo by: Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office
O’Brien allegedly forced himself into a residence located a half-mile from his own lot, situated across the golf course at the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club. Two people were reportedly inside the home, and one told the performer “to get out of the house immediately” before O’Brien pushed the other to the floor. Reportedly, the metal guitarist hid inside a closet of the home before he warned his victims of a “rapture,” according to the homeowner, who declined to speak on camera.

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But when the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene, O’Brien, 53, was found hiding behind a fence in the home’s backyard. And, allegedly, the Cannibal Corpse member did not obey the sheriff’s commands to stand down, the musician running toward one deputy with a knife in his right hand. Taken down with a taser, O’Brien was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault or battery.

Cannibal Corpse—the veteran death-metal act whose latest album Red Before Black just dropped last fall—are due to hit the road with Slayer starting next year. It’s currently unclear if O’Brien will still be participating in the concert tour.

See some news reports about O’Brien’s arrest below:

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