An Arkansas man reportedly filmed himself on Facebook Live ramming his vehicle into a 6-foot Ten Commandments monument less than 24 hours after it was installed on Capitol grounds in Little Rock.
Michael Tate Reed, 32, was arrested early Tuesday by Capitol police, according to Chris Powell, a spokesman with the secretary of state’s office, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
Investigators believe Mr. Reed, of Van Buren, filmed himself committing the crime, Mr. Powell said.
A video streamed live to Facebook allegedly shows Mr. Reed sitting in his vehicle and briefly pointing his camera at the Capitol building as a voice on the radio asks, “Where do you go when you’re faced with adversity and trials and challenges?”
“Oh my goodness. Freedom!” he says before smashing his vehicle into the stone statue.
The arrest report obtained by the Democrat-Gazette said an officer witnessed the vehicle “start from a stopped position and ram the Ten Commandments monument.”
Mr. Reed was jailed shortly after 7:30 a.m. and faces charges of defacing objects of public respect, trespassing on Capitol grounds and first-degree criminal mischief, according to the report.
The Associated Press said Mr. Reed could be the same Michael Tate Reed of Van Buren who crashed his car into a Ten Commandments monument at Oklahoma’s Capitol nearly three years ago. He was admitted the next day to a hospital for mental treatment and formal charges were never filed.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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