Cannibal Corpse: Death metal band issue statement after guitarist Pat O'Brien is arrested

The musician was arrested for assaulting a police officer while invading a neighbour's home before his own house caught fire

Patrick O'Brien's booking image (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

Cannibal Corpse has released a statement after their guitarist Pat O’Brien's dramatic arrest last week.

The musician, who has been a part of the death metal group since 1997, was arrested for assaulting a police officer while invading a neighbour's home before his own house caught fire, and ammunition inside exploded as firefighters battled the blaze.

Following the fire, fire marshals found an arsenal of guns, including 50 shotguns, 20 semiautomatic rifles, two Uzi-style firearms, 20 handguns and two flamethrowers, according to Loudwire. Authorities also discovered thousands of rounds as well as additional weapons. The guitarist was released on $50,000 bail.

Cannibal Corpse, who formed in New York and are now based in Florida, took to Facebook on Thursday to express support for their bandmate.

“As a band and individuals, we all want nothing but the best for our brother and partner, Pat,” they wrote.

“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,” the band continued in its statement.

“For anyone wondering, all Cannibal Corpse touring will happen as planned and all shows will be played.”

It is unclear who might replace O’Brien during Cannibal Corpse’s upcoming scheduled concerts or when he might rejoin in the future.

The band have a string of dates scheduled in February and March, and are also scheduled to open all 16 dates on Slayer’s ongoing final tour, which kicks off on 2 May at Ak-Chin Amphitheatre in Phoenix, Arizona.