Montana police arrested a man who they said knocked down a courthouse Ten Commandments monument with a chain and a truck, according to reports.
Anthony Weimer was booked into jail for a felony of criminal conduct after Saturday’s incident in Kalispell, KHQ reported.
Police said they responded after callers reported seeing a man on the grounds of the Flathead County Courthouse tie a chain to a pickup truck before throwing the monument onto the street, according to the station.
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Anthony Weimer, 30, was charged after allegedly tearing down a Ten Commandments monument.
(Flathead County Sheriff’s Office)
The man was later said to have picked up the chain before driving in the truck, the station reported.
Agents later located the truck, found the suspect and arrested him, according to the station.
Police said they did not know what caused the act of vandalism.
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Online records show Weimer has a court appearance on Monday.
The Associated Press reported in 2011 that the Kalispell City Council was asked to take possession of the statue and six others that included historical texts of the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence in court. Together, the monuments formed a “cornerstone of the law” exhibit.
The council declined, fearing a lawsuit over the separation of the First Amendment from church and state grounds.
The AP reported that the Fraternal Order of Eagles had delivered the statue of the Ten Commandments to Flathead County in 1950. At that time it was placed in front of the courthouse.
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The group took possession again before 2011, when the monuments became the target of a legal challenge.
Later, the workers moved the monument to the southwest corner of the courthouse during a renovation of the courthouse.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
