An unemployed actor has been charged with vandalizing a statue of George Floyd in a New York park. He could face up to seven years in prison and heavy fines if convicted of the crime.
Actor charged with vandalizing George Floyd statue in New York
Micah Beals was charged with felony second-degree criminal mischief for allegedly throwing gray paint on the face and base of the statue on the morning of Oct. 3 in Manhattan’s Union Square Park.
Beals, 37, was arrested earlier this month after police found surveillance footage of a person mixing paint near the park and then throwing it on the statue.
Beals could face up to seven years in prison and heavy fines if convicted of the crime.
Going by the stage name Micah Femia, Beals has had small roles on “Parks and Recreation” and “CSI: NY,” People magazine reported.
Beals first appeared on “CSI: NY” in 2005 and was in the 2013 film “Pop Star,” according to IMDb.
The statue of Floyd, whose murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked nationwide protests, had also been vandalized on June 24, when it was on display in Brooklyn.
“I heard about the news of the vandalism,” Terrence Floyd, Floyd’s brother, said at the time.
“I was very proud to learn that Flatbush kept it pressed. They really stood by us, took care of the statue, took care of my brother’s spirit.”
“They’re trying to stop us, but they can’t stop us,” he said.
“And we’re going to keep going, with love.”
Confront Art, the group behind the statue, said people spent hours cleaning the paint by hand, some with toothbrushes.
