Michael Tate Reed Who Destroyed 10 Commandments Monument, Arrested In Arkansas, Has History Of Destruction

The 32-year-old man from Van Buren Arkansas, accused of ramming his car into the newly erected Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol Wednesday, was arrested by state capitol police officers at the scene, officials said.

The accused — identified as Michael Tate Reed — was taken to the Pulaski County Jail soon after the incident. He faced preliminary charges of defacing objects of public interest, criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief. An arrest report listed his occupation as “unemployed/disabled,” according to multiple reports.

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In a Facebook Live video posted on an account under the name of Michael Reed, the Arkansas capitol dome was visible under the night sky and music was heard —followed by a female voice — possibly on the radio saying: “Where do you go when you're faced with adversity and trials and challenges?”

Immediately after this, a Dodge Dart was seen speeding towards the monument and the driver was heard screaming: “Oh my goodness. Freedom!” The car’s speedometer was said to be at 21 mph (33 kph) before the collision happened, the Guardian reported.

Authorities claimed Tate Reed , who destroyed the newly installed monument, was an alleged serial destroyer of Ten Commandments monuments. Oklahoma County Sheriff's spokesman Mark Opgrande told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Tate Reed was arrested in October 2014 for a similar incident when he destroyed the Ten Commandments monument installed at Oklahoma State Capitol.

Tate Reed apologized for his actions in a 2015 email to the Tulsa World claiming he heard voices and suffered from delusion. “I am so sorry that this all happening (sic) and wished I could take it all back,” he said in the email.

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According to the Tulsa World, Tate Reed was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He sent a letter to the newspaper in 2015 claiming he was recovering from mental health issues.

He seemed to refer to the Oklahoma destruction incident in the Facebook post before he rammed into the structure in Arkansas. “I’m a firm believer that for our salvation we not only have faith in Jesus Christ, but we also obey the commands of God and that we confess Jesus as Lord,” he said in the post. “But one thing I do not support is the violation of our constitutional right to have the freedom that’s guaranteed to us, that guarantees us the separation of church and state, because no one religion should the government represent.” Later, he said he was “back at it again,” and asked for people to donate money to help repair his car.

The Ten Commandments was installed on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol on Tuesday. Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Arkansas) sponsored the legislation and raised money for building the three-ton granite monument.

Rapert confirmed a replacement was already ordered after the incident, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “This law will be fulfilled, and we will raise the funds to make sure it’s put back where it should be,” he told the newspaper.