Arkansas state Capitol’s Ten Commandments monument was destroyed on Wednesday, hours after officially being unveiled.
Capitol police arrested 32-year-old Michael Tate Reed for allegedly driving his vehicle into the 6-foot granite statue, CNN reported.
Footage capturing the incident appeared on social media.
A video clip posted by Arkansas Times, appears to show Reed shouting "freedom" before driving into the monument. It then cuts to him speaking out about Donald Trump, saying, in part, "you sealed your fate when you joined those who destroy the earth by signing your executive order to continue the pipeline through Dakota."
Reed was arrested early on Wednesday morning preliminary charges of defacing objects of public interest, criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief, according to The Associated Press.
The monument, which was primarily funded by State Senator Jason Rapert, was installed on the grounds on Tuesday, according to CNN.
The erection of the Ten Commandments monument was authorized by The Ten Commandments Monument Display Act in 2015. In 2005, a decision was passed by the Supreme Court of Texas, stating that it was not a violation of the First Amendment to allow for Ten Commandments monuments to appear on state grounds.
Speaking at the unveiling on Tuesday, Rapert said he was grateful to have the monument up, and to see the law fulfilled.
"We have a beautiful Capitol grounds, but we did not have a monument that actually honored the historical moral foundation of law," he was quoted by CNN.
Arkansas secretary of state, Chris Powell, told media he was not certain if the monument would be rebuilt, as it had been a publicly funded project.
He added that the priority was to clean up the destruction form the grounds.
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