Tool Member’s Assault Case Dropped

Tool member Danny Carey’s assault case has been dropped. According to Fox 4 Kansas City, prosecutors have dismissed assault charges against Carey, who is the drummer for the longtime rock band. The local news outlet noted that the court did not provide a reason, simply stating that the case was confidentially closed as of Jan. 23.

Carey was charged and arrested after allegedly getting into a fight with another man in Kansas City Airport terminal on Dec. 12, 2021. At the time, Fox 4 Kansas City reported that officers were called to the scene for an altercation and found Carey poking the unnamed man in the chest with two fingers and yelling a homophobic slur. Video footage captured Carey’s arrest, with the musician heard asking, “Who did I assault? Who did I assault,” as he was being handcuffed. He added, “I just want to get the f— out of here.”

At the time of Carey’s arrest, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Aviation Department offered a statement, as shared by Blabbermouth. “Regarding the request for body and dash cam video, our police force does not have this technology,” the spokesperson said. “The police report has been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review.”

Carey had been set to appear in a Kansas City court this week, for an assault case hearing. Per a previous Fox 4 Kansas City report, the Grammy-winning drummer had been set to go before a judge on Thursday, Dec. 15. Court records revealed that the case had been continued several times this year, and was initially scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 12, 2022.

Carey is one of the founding members of Tool, along with bandmates Maynard James Keenan and Adam Jones, as well as past bassist Paul D’Amour, who was replaced by Justin Chancellor after leaving the band in the mid-90s. Tool emerged on the rock/metal scene in the early ’90s with their debut EP, Opiate. To date, the band has released five studio albums: Undertow (1993), Ænima (1996), Lateralus (2001), 10,000 Days (2006) and Fear Inoculum (2019).

Over the years, they have also racked up a number of award nominations and wins. Among the bands’ biggest trophies are four Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance for “Ænema” (1998), Best Metal Performance for “Schism” (2002), Best Recording Package for 10,000 Days (2007), and Best Metal Performance for “7empest” (2020). Finally, Tool also won Top Rock Album at both the Billboard Music Awards and the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2020.