Mug Shot, Gregory Alexander McDade June 30, 2020 Lee Square Cenotaph
Pensacola - Save Southern Heritage Florida ("SSH") learned this morning that Gregory Alexander McDade, the suspect in the June 30, 2020 Pensacola Lee Square Cenotaph vandalism, was taken into custody by the Florida Highway Patrol over night.
An arrest warrant had been issued for McDade by the Pensacola Police Department on July 8, 2020, but he had remained at large, until arrested on unrelated charges of DUI and property damage and leaving the scene of crash involving damage to property, early this morning.
SSH has, at this time, been unable to determine where the suspect was arrested or the details of the incident.
A spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans stated that they are considering asserting their Marsy's law rights under the Florida Consitution as crime victims in the case against. McDade, and consider Mr. McDade's actions a hate crime against them.
Subsequent to the vandalism, on July 14, 2020, the City of Pensacola Commission voted to remove the Cenotaph from Lee Square. "It will be interesting to see if the City drops the charges altogether or if they are serious about crime against public property in Pensacola" said David McCallister, Save Southern Heritage, FL spokesman.
Save Southern Heritage and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the City to prevent removal of the Cenotaph and a temporary restraining order was issued by Florida Circuit Judge Begoff. The City moved the case to Federal Court, and the matter is ongoing.
A search of Escambia County records shows McDade, age 24, has been in the system since 2015. Social media indicated that McDade was a student at Univeristy of West Florida from 2013-2017.
Court dates have been set for Sept. 16, 2020 for the current charges, and Sept. 17, 2020 for the Cenotaph vandalism charges. Source www.myescambia.com.
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