Ex-US Olympian David Hearn was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday (July 2) after his arrest in Washington, DC, over allegations that he caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer from Bethesda, Maryland, was charged with a single count of property destruction in D.C. court after federal authorities said he reached into the newly renovated pool and allegedly damaged part of its coating. Hearn previously told The Associated Press that he only touched a piece of peeling material that was still attached to the side of the pool after stopping there during a long bike ride, and that he let go when a park worker told him to. He also said he was detained for several hours before being released.
The case comes amid a broader controversy over the Reflecting Pool’s recent renovation, which President Donald Trump has cited as evidence of vandalism while claiming multiple people were arrested. The pool, a centerpiece of the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, had recently been fenced off as officials dealt with repair work, algae, and peeling lining on the basin’s surface.
This is a developing story…more details to come.