LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A man who destroyed a Ten Commandments monument outside of Oklahoma’s state Capitol was acquitted Thursday of destroying another one three years later outside of Arkansas’, with the judge citing evidence that the man suffers from a mental disease or defect.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled that Michael Tate Reed must return to the state hospital in Little Rock for further evaluations that could lead to his release.

Reed has been held in the state hospital since late last year after Piazza ruled he wasn’t fit to proceed to trial.

Reed, 33, didn’t speak during the brief hearing. He wore a multicolored jacket and a T-shirt that quoted Ephesians 6:11 from the Bible: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

A state hospital evaluation presented in court Thursday said that Reed lacked the capacity to follow the law when he knocked over the 6,000-pound monument in June 2017 with his car. A replacement monument now stands in its place, protected by four concrete posts.

Reed destroyed a similar monument in Oklahoma City in 2014, but Oklahoma prosecutors didn’t charge him after concerns were raised about his mental health.

The Arkansas state hospital evaluation said Reed was suffering from schizoaffective disorder at the time he destroyed Arkansas’ display, and that he suffered from delusions and hallucinations.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.