Olympian Faces Felony Charge Over Reflecting Pool Damage Claim

A former Olympic canoeist now faces up to ten years in prison after a grand jury indicted him on a felony destruction of property charge tied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, and a three-time Olympian in canoe slalom, was arrested after reaching into the pool and removing a section of its recently installed blue liner. Prosecutors say the act caused more than one thousand dollars in damage.

The indictment marks the first prosecution under a Trump administration pledge to pursue individuals accused of harming national monuments. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charge in a Thursday press conference and stated that Hearn used his bare hands. Court records list the incident as occurring after the pool received a new sealant during renovation work that also produced green algae blooms and peeling sections of liner.

Hearn has denied causing any new damage and told investigators the liner was already detached when he visited the site. The renovation itself has drawn separate scrutiny over its fourteen-million-dollar cost and visible problems with water quality. No independent engineering assessment of the exact damage amount has been released publicly.

Reporters at the press conference pressed Pirro on how the one-thousand-dollar threshold would be proven and whether the liner showed prior wear. Pirro responded that an expert would testify at trial and invited skeptics to appear before the grand jury. She also rejected questions linking the case to January 6 events.

The Reflecting Pool sits on the National Mall and remains a focal point for both maintenance disputes and enforcement priorities. Hearn’s next court date has not been set.