A man caused $240,000 in damage to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum in Seattle late on Monday night, according to a report by the local police.
The Seattle Police Department did not name the man, saying only that he was 40 and that he was arrested for assault. The blotter report described the vandalism as “catastrophic damage.”
According to the report, the man destroyed several sculptures of plants located on the museum’s grounds. Those sculptures are by Dale Chihuly, whose glass sculptures are highly prized.
“Officers found large pieces of colorful broken glass on the walking path and scattered around the area,” the police said, noting that the man was taken into custody after security identified him.
The police alleged that the man “threw broken glass shards at security,” though he did not hurt anyone in the process. Moreover, the man allegedly “also picked up a broken shard of glass and tried to stab the museum security officer multiple times.”
The report came with pictures that purported to show the sculptures’ shards scattered across the ground. The police also appeared to make light of the arrest, proposing headlines for journalists covering the case, such as: “Man Faces Shard Time After Damaging Chihuly Museum.”
Located at the Seattle Center, the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum was opened in 2012 at the site of a former amusement park. It is home to various works by Chihuly, including one of his biggest sculptures: a 100-foot-long installation that looks like a suspended wreath of red flowers.
