From Olympian to Defendant
David Hearn, 67, was on a 50-plus-mile bike ride on Friday when he stopped at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to see the recent renovations. Spotting a strip of the new coating that had peeled off and was floating in the water, he briefly touched it with his bare hand out of curiosity. A park worker told him to let go, and he immediately complied.
Moments later, National Guardsmen and U.S. Park Police officers detained him. A video circulating on social media shows the Olympian in a calm conversation before police handcuff him and lead him away. He was charged with destruction of government property, a misdemeanor, and held for about five hours before being released Friday evening. The arrest took place as the Guard was deployed in the capital for security around the upcoming July 4 celebrations.
Trump's Vandalism Accusations
Just hours earlier, President Trump had posted on social media that there had been “real problems with vandalism” at the pool, claiming vandals had torn up the grass and damaged the interior coating. He announced several arrests and vowed to drain the pool again. But the White House provided no concrete evidence linking Hearn – or anyone else – to malicious damage.
In fact, the Reflecting Pool was already troubled before Hearn ever touched it. The new “American flag blue” coating – part of a $14 million renovation pushed by President Trump ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday – had quickly turned green with algae and was peeling in multiple spots. On Saturday, workers could be seen using poles to remove algae and loose paint, a problem that predated the alleged vandalism.
‘I Did Nothing Wrong’
Hearn is no ordinary cyclist. A three-time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000) in canoe slalom, he won 13 world championship medals, including eight golds, and narrowly missed a bronze in 1996. He later ran a company that manufactured composite materials for watercraft. He told reporters he was simply a “curious citizen” who wanted to feel the material's texture, describing it as “very rubbery.”
I didn't destroy or break or peel anything.David Hearn
Hearn is now seeking a lawyer ahead of a July 9 court date in D.C. Superior Court. He told the Washington Post that he had once before been arrested by the Park Police – nearly 30 years ago – and was eventually cleared. “I’m a stubborn person,” he said.
The arrest has spotlighted the fragile state of the hastily renovated Reflecting Pool and raised questions about whether a single touch of a peeling lining constitutes vandalism. For now, the pool remains drained, and the alleged vandalism – according to Trump – will require yet another costly repair.