Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn faces felony charge for allegedly vandalizing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. on charges of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to court documents released on Thursday.
He was charged with “destruction of property $1,000 or more,” a felony.
Hearn, 67, was arrested by U.S. Park police officers on June 19 after reaching into the Reflecting Pool. He claimed to the Washington Post that he reached into the pool to touch a piece of paint that had peeled off from the bottom of the basin and floated to the top of the water.
The Reflecting Pool has been in the news since President Donald Trump announced that he would fix the “once beautiful” body of water in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary on July 4. The repair project was projected to cost $14 million.
However, the dark blue paint — intended to resemble the blue of the American flag — and coating to line the basin trapped heat from the sun and raised the temperature of the water. That allowed algae to bloom in the pool, turning the water a murky green color.
Workers then treated the water with chlorine and hydrogen peroxide to reduce the algae. But those methods were unsuccessful. Those chemicals also caused the paint at the bottom of the basin to peel off in sheets and float to the top of the pool.
The reflecting pool has been in the news recently for efforts from the Trump administration to make the water in the basin appear a clear blue, presumably to look at its best for the celebration of the United States' 250th anniversary on July 4. The repairs were projected to cost $14 million and have since surpassed that by at least $2 million.
President Trump blamed vandals for the setbacks with the Reflecting Pool. The National Park Service alleged that the sealant was cut with knives or razors. Hearn was one of the first people to be charged with destruction of government property. Federal officials arrested six others on charges of vandalizing the pool, according to the New York Times.
Hearn — not to be confused with PGA golfer David Hearn — competed in three Olympic Games in the canoe slalom, finishing ninth in the C-1 race at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He also raced in the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney Olympics. Hearn also won six consecutive world championships in the C-1 team competition from 1979 to 1989, and two individual titles in 1985 and 1995.
"I didn't vandalize anything," Hearn told the Washington Post at the time. "I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs."
