The Ten Commandments monument installed in Arkansas was destroyed less than 24 hours after it was installed. A driver was accused of driving his vehicle into the sculpture underlining the church-state separation in the area. The sculpture, which was privately funded, was reportedly destroyed by a man named Michael Tate Reed, 32. The sculpture was placed in front of the state capitol in Little Rock.
Who is Michael Tate Reed?
According to the LA Times, the man who rammed the newly-placed sculpture is from Van Buren, Arkansas. He claimed to be unemployed or disabled under the occupation section of the police report but it was not detailed whether he really is either of the two conditions he wrote.
Chris Powell, the Arkansas secretary of state’s office spokesman, said that a Facebook account that used the name of Michael Reed posted a Facebook Live video showing what took place before Reed decided to ram his vehicle into the Ten Commandments sculpture. Per the video, Reed was outside the capitol as the dome was seen.
It could be heard in the background that Reed was listening to the radio before he said, “Oh my goodness. Freedom!” He accelerated towards the statue and it could be seen in the video that the statues was smashed into pieces.
Reed was arrested shortly thereafter and was detained at the Pulaski county jail. He was charged with defacing objects of public interest, criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief.
This was not the first time that Reed was involved with such crime. Back in October 2014, Reed was also arrested as he destroyed another Ten Commandments monument. During that time, the statue was at the state capitol of Oklahoma. In 2015, he wrote an email and apologized about ramming the Oklahoma Ten Commandments. He noted that he heard voices and suffered from delusions, The Guardian reported.
The LA Times reports that the family also said when he rammed the Ten Commandments statue of Oklahoma that he has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Arkansas Ten Commandments monument approved in 2015
The installation of the monument in front of the state capitol of Arkansas in Little Rock was approved in 2015 after a law permitting such erection was passed.
A state panel approved the design and location just last month. Jason Rapert, a senator, Republican, who pushed for the statue’s installation, said he was disappointed with such violent action that was against the people of Arkansas.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also said they condemn any illegal act of destruction and vandalism despite calling the Ten Commandments statue an unconstitutional monument. They added they would rather have the monument removed safely and through legal means rather than encouraging the action that Reed did.
