The actor and skateboarder is charged with second-degree criminal mischief after being arrested for defacing the statue in Manhattan's Union Square Park by throwing gray paint on its face.
- Oct 26, 2021
AceShowbiz - Micah Beals had a run-in with the law. The actor and skateboarder was charged with second-degree criminal mischief after allegedly vandalizing the George Floyd statue in Manhattan's Union Square Park.
According to the New York Police Department, the 37-year-old actor was arrested on Monday, October 25 after he was caught defacing the statue at Union Square Park at around 10 A.M. on October 3. Footage released after the incident showed a man, wearing a dark green jacket, a neon green T-shirt, black shorts, black-and-white sneakers and a black beanie, walking along the park carrying his skateboard in one hand.
In the clip, it could be seen that Micah later hid behind a nearby statue of the late Rep. John Lewis. He went on to grab something from his green backpack before he got on his skateboard, heading to the statue.
Micah then hurled gray paint at the George Floyd statue. After throwing paint at the bust's face and base, he rode off, heading north on the west side of the park at around 10.15 A.M.
Two people, apparently a woman and a child, were standing nearby when the vandalism occurred. "The individual threw gray paint on the face and base of the statue and then fled the location while still riding on the skateboard," the authorities confirmed in a report on the incident.
The vandalism was originally being investigated as a hate crime, but Micah has not been charged for a hate crime. The authorities have yet to address a possible motive for the vandalism incident.
Following the incident, Confront Art and We Are Floyd released a statement. "It takes a lot of courage to display the 3 statues we are exhibiting in Union Square," so read the statement. "It also takes a good deal of courage to vandalize a statue on a global stage in broad daylight."
"This continues to bring light to our mission that art is a conversation catalyst, a place for public discourse and through these acts we can hopefully overcome hate and find unity for the future," the statement added. "We continue to be inspired to create and display public art to further this important mission."
The George Floyd bust opened to the public just two days before the incident, after first being unveiled on Juneteenth in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Less than a week later, the statue was also defaced with black paint and the message "Patriot Front," a white nationalist hate group.
