An Atlanta man (identified as 26-year-old Brent Jones) is behind bars after authorities say he vandalized the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, including stomping out the Eternal Flame and urinating in the reflecting pool. According to arrest warrants obtained by 11Alive, the vandal did roughly $3,000 worth of damage. The warrants note that tanks and circuits used for the Eternal Flame may have been harmed, contributing to the damage estimate.

Officers said they responded to a call at the King Center early on Saturday morning. When they arrived, they discovered that the Eternal Flame monument had been tampered with and the adjacent reflecting pool had been soiled. 

Witness statements and video surveillance helped to catch the insensitive thug. The warrants state, "The eternal flame pot has a gate around it prohibiting individuals from being within a certain distance away from the pot. When he was advised to exit from behind the gate the male became irate and stood in the pot damaging it," and "proceeded to scatter the documents that were on the memorial podium for Dr. King Jr."

He was arrested and is currently in custody, facing charges that include vandalism and destruction of property. As 11Alive reports, this isn’t just a case of vandalism. The King Center is a national landmark, and the Eternal Flame is a symbol of Dr. King’s legacy.

The Eternal Flame has burned outside The King Center since 1968 as a symbol of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring message of justice, peace, and nonviolence. Sacred sites like this one, facing disrespect of this magnitude in 2025, are all the more reason that protection, reverence, and preservation are as urgent as ever.

This incident has sparked outrage far beyond the Atlanta community, with many calling this an attack on history. The King Center leadership has not yet released a public statement, but local groups have already begun organizing to protect and repair the site.