A hate crime charge has been filed against a Christian U.S. Navy veteran who confessed to decapitating the Satanic Temple’s statue at the Iowa State Capitol in December.
Initially, Michael Cassidy faced a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief on December 15. However, the Polk County Attorney’s Office decided to elevate the charges to a “third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights, a class D felony” due to his admission that he destroyed the statue because of the victim’s (the Satanic Temple) religious affiliation.
Prosecutors estimated that the cost to repair or replace the damaged statue of Satan would range between $750 and $1,500.
“The Polk County Attorney’s Office seeks fair and just resolutions of all cases, as we continue to apply the law equally to all, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, or economic status,” officials added.
BREAKING: @RepubSentinel can reveal that Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, tore down and beheaded the Satan altar in the Iowa Capitol:https://t.co/rIYIdZOzee pic.twitter.com/tZDsmKM5Pm
— The Sentinel (@RepubSentinel) December 14, 2023
Cassidy explained he destroyed the statue to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government”:
“The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment,” Cassidy said. “Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water.”
Cassidy was apprehended by the police subsequent to surrendering himself to the officers who were on site within the premises.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” the veteran said. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
