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David Hearn competes in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia; fractures in the sealant of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool can be seen through algae-filled water on June 18, 2026
Credit: Shaun Botterill /Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Former Olympic canoeist David Carter "Davey" Hearn has officially been indicted after he was arrested for reaching into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool last month
- Hearn has been charged with one count of destruction of property, with prosecutors claiming he caused over $1,000 in damage to the newly renovated pool with his "bare hands"
- The 67-year-old previously said that he didn't "destroy or break or peel anything," but was just reaching in to touch a piece of the partially detached sealant flapping in the water
Former Olympic canoeist David Carter "Davey" Hearn has officially been indicted on one charge of destruction of property after he was arrested for reaching into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., last month.
The 67-year-old — who competed in the canoe slalom in three Summer Olympics — was arrested by United States Park Police officers on June 19, after he stopped to look at the newly renovated Washington, D.C., water feature in the midst of a 52-mile bike ride, The Washington Post reported at the time.
Hearn told the Post that he noticed a piece of the pool's newly installed liner had become partially detached from the basin and he reached in to feel it. Moments later, he was being arrested.
“I didn't destroy or break or peel anything," the former Olympian said. "By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
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Tears in Reflecting Pool sealant were visible on June 18, 2026, shortly after the Trump administration's multimillion dollar resurfacing project
Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
However, Thursday's indictment by a D.C. grand jury said they found that Hearn “maliciously did injure, break and destroy certain property, that is, the lining material of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."
Speaking with reporters later in the day, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for D.C., claimed that Hearn made "a violent effort to rip up the sealing from the bottom of the pool."
"Irrespective of whether or not, you know, we think that there is some situation that preceded it, we can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage and that damage is over $1,000," she continued.
When asked how prosecutors could prove the dollar amount of the damage before the Pool has been drained again and inspected, Pirro answered, "With an expert. Come to the trial."
Following the indictment, Hearn's lawyers, Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, released a statement saying, "Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American. This indictment reflects the Administration's effort to shift blame for their own failures."
"On the eve of our nation's Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative. The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover."
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David Hearn competes in the U.S. Whitewater Kayak/Canoe Olympic Trials on the Ocoee River in the Cherokee National Forrest in Ducktown, Tenn., on April 9, 2000
Credit: Getty
President Donald Trump has previously claimed that six people have been arrested for vandalizing the pool; none other than Hearn have yet been indicted or identified publicly, and he has not offered up any evidence.
On June 23, the president told reporters that his administration had footage of the reported vandalism, but would not be releasing it.
“Somebody went in with a knife and cut it. They cut it up good. And then they cut a 200-, 350-foot slit in the form of lots of little slits," he said. "Real, horrible stuff."
When asked on Thursday if Hearn was being accused of using a knife or tools, Pirro said, "Right now we believe it's his bare hands, both hands."
The Reflecting Pool renovation has continued to be a time-consuming side project for the Trump administration amid the America 250 anniversary events leading up to July 4.
The pool was drained, repaired, resealed and painted "American Flag Blue” last month as part of its several-million-dollar renovation; however, almost immediately, a massive algae bloom appeared in the water, followed by chunks of the new liner falling off.
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Trump has repeatedly blamed alleged vandals for the Reflecting Pool's issues since its renovation, claiming unidentified people not only cut up the liner with knives, but also poured toxic chemicals into the water.
"Who would do such a thing?" he wrote in a Truth Social post on June 20. "These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair."
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