David Hearn, a two-time whitewater racing world champion who competed in three Olympic Games, was handcuffed after he stopped during a 52-mile bike ride to inspect a loose flap of blue liner at the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On Thursday, a grand jury in D.C. Superior Court indicted him on a single felony charge of destruction of property, accusing him of causing $1,000 in damage. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Hearn, 67, has repeatedly denied vandalising the monument. 'I didn’t vandalize anything. I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,' he told The Washington Post.
“Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
The charge, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, is the first under the Trump administration’s pledge to target alleged vandals at the pool – a pledge the president made without evidence. Pirro said Hearn 'forcefully and violently' pulled the lining in a 'deliberate act'. But when asked whether the liner was already damaged before Hearn touched it, she replied: 'I’m not going to get into the evidence.' She added that there are 'about half a dozen' other cases involving alleged vandalism at the monument.
The shallow pool, which Trump repeatedly promoted as 'bigger than skyscrapers', was refurbished with 'American flag blue' sealant and 'advanced nanobubbler technology' to tackle persistent algae blooms. The renovation cost nearly $14.7 million – far above the $1.5 million the president initially estimated. Within weeks of reopening, algae returned and the new sealant began peeling off in chunks that bubbled to the surface.
Hearn's attorney told CNN he had not yet been made aware of the latest development. The lawyer noted that Hearn had previously received a citation involving less serious misdemeanour allegations. The grand jury indictment raises the case to a felony carrying a maximum 10-year sentence.
Hearn, who represented the U.S. in canoe slalom at three Olympics, said he reached into the water only out of curiosity. 'I reached in there, and I was able to grab the end of that flapping…' he said, before being interrupted by the arrest. The National Park Service worker who warned him not to touch the pool then watched as Park Police placed the former Olympian in handcuffs.