Man destroys Ten Commandments monument on Arkansas Capitol a day after installation

Capitol police arrested a man after he toppled the new Ten Commandments monument that was installed on the grounds of the Arkansas capitol building on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-tall display was destroyed less than 24 hours after its installation when Michael Tate Reed of Van Buren allegedly drove his vehicle into the stone monument. Reed, who recorded the incident and posted the video on Facebook, reportedly yelled "freedom," as he drove his car into the display.

Christian News Network reported that the 32-year-old man was taken into custody on charges of defacing objects of public interest, criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief. He is facing jail time and a fine of $2,500 for the offenses.

In another Facebook video, a man who identified himself as Michael Reed expressed his beliefs in Jesus and the separation of church and state.

"I'm a firm believer that part of salvation is that we not only have faith in Jesus Christ but we obey the commands of God, and that we confess Jesus as Lord," the man said in the video.

"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 the separation of church and state, 'cause no one religion should the government represent," he added.

In 2014, a man by the same name crashed his car into the Ten Commandments monument installed at Oklahoma's Capitol. The man was later admitted to the hospital for mental treatment, but no formal charges were filed against him.

The installation of the monument follows the passage of a 2015 bill known as "The Ten Commandments Monument Display Act," which allowed the Decalogue display near the Capitol. Last month, a state panel gave final approval to the design and location of the privately funded granite monument.

Prior to the toppling of the monument, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) threatened to file a lawsuit, arguing that the display violated the U.S. Constitution.

"At a time when we do not need any more religious conflict and divisiveness in the world and in this country, it violates the First Amendment promise of religious liberty to all," said ACLU Executive Director Rita Sklar.

The Satanic Temple also challenged the Decalogue display by pushing for the installation of a competing statue of Baphomet, a goat-headed, angel-winged creature accompanied by two children smiling at it. However, the Temple's efforts were blocked by a new law enacted this year requiring legislative approval before new proposals for monuments can be considered by the commission.