Pieces of a Martin Luther King Jr. monument stolen from a Denver, Colorado, park were discovered in a scrap metal yard Friday, according to reports.
A bronze panel highlighting Black veterans and two emblems were taken from the “I Have A Dream” memorial at Denver’s City Park. Police received a call about the vandalism on Wednesday, Feb. 21, shortly after 10 a.m., according to the local newspaper.
Denver police’s bias-motivated crime unit launched an investigation into the matter and has identified a suspect, Denver7 reported.
Dr. Vern Howard, head of the Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission, believes that more than one individual was involved due to the weight of the pieces, saying it is a “coordinated effort” he is taking personally, KMGH-TV reported.
A passerby informed Howard about the attack that morning, according to the outlet. He pointed out that the vandalism happened during Black History Month and the 40th anniversary of the commission.
“This will not deter us. We will continue to march. We will continue to seek justice. We will continue to seek love,” Howard told KMGH-TV. “We will continue to fight for the Voting Rights Act. We will continue to fight for everything that is needed to make sure that we are all able to live up to the creed of this country, that all men are created equal.”
Edward Dwight crafted the beloved statue that was installed in the early 2000s. In an interview with CBS News, the 90-year-old artist said the molds for the missing pieces are nonexistent, calling the incident “heartbreaking” and “an absolute disaster.” His eyesight is dwindling, so he is concerned about nailing down an artist who can replicate his work.
“It’s not so much the physical part of it, but it’s kind of the spiritual part for me that somebody would violate this thing… and for what?” Dwight, who was also notably the first Black person trained to be an astronaut, added.
The destruction of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument occurred shortly after the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue in Wichita, Kansas. Earlier this month, a 45-year-old man was taken into custody in connection to the crime. Police said there was no evidence that the incident was motivated by hate but by the “financial gain of scrapping common metal.”
