A 32-year-old Arkansas man allegedly drove his vehicle over a 6-foot-tall Ten Commandments monument that was installed the day before at the state Capitol while broadcasting it on Facebook Live.
Michael Reed, the man authorities allege ran over the new monument, was arrested by Capitol Police shortly after the incident, according to Arkansas Online.
A video on what is believed to be Reed’s Facebook page posted on Wednesday morning shows him outside of the capitol building listening to music before he grumbles, “Oh, my goodness—freedom!” before speeding up and running over the monument, which appears to be a large upright structure.
The video cuts out shortly after he hits the monument.
https://www.facebook.com/Crunkster430/videos/10213320261704638/
An arrest report says an officer spotted a dark-colored vehicle around 4:45am local time on Tuesday “start from a stopped position and ram the Ten Commandments monument,” Arkansas Online reported. On Wednesday, a set of tire tracks were visible on the grass near the monument, the website reported, and busted pieces of granite were strewn about the area.
The monument was paid for by more than $26,000 in private donations, according to Arkansas Online. Although efforts to display the Ten Commandments on government property have faced legal challenges across the U.S., Arkansas legislators cleared the way for the monument with their passage of the Ten Commandments Monument Display Act earlier this year.
MUG SHOT: Michael Reed, 32, arrested for driving into and destroying Ten Commandments monument on Capitol grounds #ARNews #arpx #arleg pic.twitter.com/SHZawoZpe6
— Austin Kellerman (@AustinKellerman) June 28, 2017
The officer arrested Reed before taking him to a local hospital and then booking him in a county jail, the website reports. Reed was reportedly charged with defacing objects of public respect, trespassing, and first-degree criminal mischief. He is being held without bail pending a court appearance.
It appears this isn’t the first time Reed has been arrested for striking Ten Commandments monuments. According to Tulsa World, Reed struck a similar monument in Oklahoma outside of its state capitol building in October 2014.
The paper said he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and had previously made threats against former President Barack Obama and walked into a federal building to spit on pictures.