A Bloomington resident has been charged with defacing a national monument.
Shaun Ray Deaton, 44, is also a Shelbyville native and 2010 IU graduate. He was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly pouring red paint on the Washington Monument in D.C.
Officers said they found Deaton around 7:30 p.m. at the monument with a paintbrush in hand. Scrawled on the monument was “have you been f****d by this? Gov says tough s**t.” Police say Deaton also spilled paint to the left of his message.
Deaton told reporters in D.C. that he suffers from chronic pain and homelessness, and that his vandalism wasn’t meant as a political statement.
“If you're poor and a nobody, your only possible chance is rolling the dice and getting some attention toward yourself, good or bad," Deaton told NBC.
A news release from the National Park Service said Deaton was charged with trespassing, tampering and vandalism, with additional charges possible.
At first light, our Monument Preservation crew got to work on the Washington Monument, after it was defaced with red paint last night. The top layer of paint is coming off and the pigment that seeped into the stone will be treated with many rounds of cleaning product application. pic.twitter.com/ifFHoTTuif — National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) September 21, 2022
