Arkansas man faces felony charge for destroying Ten Commandments Monument

An Arkansas man is now facing a felony charge for destroying a Ten Commandments Monument that was installed on the grounds of the Capitol building last month.

Michael Tate Reed, 32, who is currently being held on a $100,000 bond, has been officially charged with first-degree criminal mischief, which is punishable by a prison term of three to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.

The new charge against Reed supersedes previous charges of criminal mischief and two misdemeanor charges for trespassing and defacing an object of public respect, according to ArkansasMatters.com.

Earlier this month, Reed admitted from jail that he had been diagnosed with mental illnesses that include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but he maintained that he is "mentally sane."

He was arrested on June 28 after he reportedly drove his vehicle into the monument, toppling it less than 24 hours after it was installed.

"I meant to do it, fully well," he said, referring to the act. "I did it because I fully believe I'm the rider on the first white horse in Revelations," he continued.

In a video posted on Facebook, Reed professed to be a Christian, but he expressed his belief that the Ten Commandments display was a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

"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," he stated in the video posted on the same day as the incident.

"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.

After his arrest, he reportedly requested to be sent to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation, but he was not fully examined. Reed's sister, Mindy Poor, noted that he suffers from schizoaffective disorder.

Reed was later placed on a straight jacket and put on a suicide watch after he told officials in jail that he was hearing voices.

According to The Associated Press, Reed was also arrested in 2014 for destroying a Ten Commandments display outside the Oklahoma state Capitol, but he has not been charged in that case.

Christian film company Pure Flix has recently donated $25,000 to help replace the destroyed monument at the Arkansas Capitol.