A high-profile legal case has unfolded in Washington D.C., centered on a 67-year-old former three-time Olympic canoeist named David “Davey” Hearn, who has been formally indicted on felony destruction of property charges connected to damage at the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal authorities allege that Hearn carried out a deliberate act of vandalism on June 19, 2026, tearing a section of newly installed bottom sealant at the iconic National Mall landmark, causing an estimated $1,000 in damage. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro outlined the charges during a Thursday press conference, emphasizing that the damage targeted a site that National Park Service crews had invested extensive effort into restoring. This incident comes in the wake of a controversial $14 million full renovation of the 1920s-era reflecting pool, which has already faced a string of operational issues just weeks after completion. Within days of the pool being refilled following renovations, visitors and officials observed widespread algae bloom that clouded the water, alongside large-scale peeling of the new bottom sealant that the project had installed. Former U.S. President Donald Trump was quick to publicly blame intentional vandalism for the sealant damage just one day after the incident, taking to social media on June 20 to condemn the act. Trump wrote that repairs would start immediately to fix what he called the “seriously vandalized” pool, adding incendiary comments describing the perpetrators as “SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!” after conducting an onsite inspection. Hearn has repeatedly maintained his innocence since his initial detention at the scene, which he says occurred as he was wrapping up a long-distance bike ride near the pool’s edge. In an earlier interview with the BBC, Hearn explained he only touched a section of sealant that was already damaged, saying he was simply curious about the pool’s post-renovation condition. He flatly denies tearing, ripping, peeling, or removing any intact sealant or coating, and has denounced his prosecution as “arbitrary, capricious”. Hearn is not the only person facing action over the reflecting pool damage; U.S. Park Police have confirmed that a total of five people have been arrested on vandalism charges linked to the sealant issues, with five additional people receiving federal citations for related misconduct. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which stretches more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has dealt with persistent infrastructure problems for decades, including chronic leaks, structural decay, outdated piping, regular algae overgrowth, and buildup from bird droppings—problems the $14 million renovation was intended to resolve once and for all.
Former Olympian indicted for allegedly vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool
