Man Arrested For Defacing George Floyd Statue in New York
An arrest has been made in the defacing of a bronze George Floyd bust in New York, police say.
NBC New York reports Michael Beals, 37, was charged with criminal mischief. The bust was unveiled in Manhattan’s Union Square on Sept. 30, but was vandalized three days later.
According to CNN, the bust, which is part of Confront Art's installation "SEEINJUSTICE" exhibition, was vandalized with gray, water-based paint at approximately 10 a.m. on Oct. 3. The NYPD released video of a man with a spray paint can defacing the artwork.
The bronze statue was one of three murals created by artist Chris Carnabuci. Earlier this month, he told CNN about the mural being defaced, "I'm not shocked, but I'm still pissed. It's a very counterproductive thing to do, and it's not the kind of civil discourse -- the keyword being civil -- I wanted."
In June, another Floyd artwork in Brooklyn, also created by Carnabuci, was defaced four days after it was unveiled, according to The New York Times.
It is unclear if Beals has retained an attorney, NBC New York says.
