American actor Micah Beals, 37, has been charged with second-degree criminal mischief, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Hate Crimes Division has confirmed. He was arrested earlier this month for allegedly vandalizing a statue of the late George Floyd located in Union Square Park, NYC.
Floyd, 46, was an African-American man who was killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. During an arrest over a suspected counterfeit $20 bill, Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, sparking protests against police brutality and the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement across the world.
Beals, also known under his stage name Micah Femia, is an American actor and composer from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 2009, Beals appeared in one episode of Parks and Recreation as clubgoer Len. He also starred in an episode of CSI: NY in 2004.
Beals is also well known for his role as Abraham in Pop Star, starring alongside Christian Serratos, Rachele Brooke Smith and Ross Thomas.
His other credits include Don’t Think Twice, Lip Service and That’s So Raven.
Throughout his career, Beals has starred in numerous commercials, including for Volkswagen, McDonald’s and Walmart.
In CCTV footage posted on the NYPD Hate Crimes Twitter account on October 4, 2021, a white man dressed in a dark green jacket and black shorts riding a skateboard can be seen throwing grey or silver paint on the large, bronze George Floyd statue.
He then proceeds to skate around the statue and out of the park.
The offense was committed the previous day (October 3) at approximately 10:15 a.m. E.T. in Union Square Park, NYC.
The original tweet from the NYPD Hate Crimes Department was updated on Monday, October 25, with the news that Beals had been arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief.
George Floyd bust in Union Square splattered with paint this morning, it just went up earlier this week, John Lewis and Breonna Taylor statues nor damaged, police are en route to dust for fingerprints, according to Confront Art rep on site. pic.twitter.com/5PBRWBQTBc
— Gwynne Hogan (@GwynneFitz) October 3, 2021
According to New York Lawyers.org. a second-degree criminal mischief charge carries potential imprisonment for up to seven years in a New York State prison. At the moment, it is unknown if Beals has entered a plea.
Following the vandalism, a group of volunteers purchased paint and other materials to repair the statue, which was made by artist Chris Carnabuci as part of the #SeeInjustice exhibit at Union Square Park.
Carnabuci also created the busts of the late Rep. John Lewis and Breonna Taylor, which are also on show in Union Square Park as part of Confront Art’s social justice project. Their statues were untouched.
Confront Art co-founder Andrew Cohen, who helped design the statue, told CNN: “They went to the hardware [store] and bought supplies out of their pockets. This is inspiring teamwork and support from the community.’
It isn’t the first time Beals has been in trouble with the law.
As reported by People, according to data obtained from the Metropolitan Police Department, Beals had previously been arrested in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, on a curfew violation after the insurrection at the United States Capitol.
According to criminal records obtained by Heavy.com, Beals has been in and out of trouble with the law as far back as 2002 across multiple states including Michigan, California and Washington state.
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