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An Olympic canoeist has been accused of vandalizing the iconic Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
David Hearn, 67, who represented the United States at three Summer Olympics, denied accusations that he vandalized the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool after being arrested by U.S. Park Police on Saturday.
Hearn told the Associated Press that he only entered the pool because he wanted to examine the new, peeling liner, and that he only briefly touched a piece that was still attached to the pool’s edge, then released it shortly after a park employee asked him to do so.
“I’m a curious citizen,” Hearn told the outlet. “I leaned over to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”
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He now has a date to appear in court next month.
Hearn was previously arrested by the U.S. Park Police nearly 30 years ago and eventually beat the charges.
How did it get there?
He comes from a family of American canoeing royalty
Former U.S. Olympic athlete David Hearn was arrested after allegedly vandalizing the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. (David Madison/Getty Images, file)
His father, Carter Hearn, was an expert geologist and canoeist who continued to paddle dangerous whitewater into his late 60s, according to his Davey Hearn website.
Her older sister Cathy competed twice in the Olympics in women’s kayaking and in 1979 won an unprecedented three gold medals at the World Championships. She is a member of the 2001 World Championships team.
His brother, Bill, was also a member of the United States National Canoe and Kayak Team (USACK).
During this time, his wife Jennifer was also a member of the USACK women’s national slalom team and was David’s paddling coach from 1996 to 2001. She started as assistant manager of the slalom team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona while it was still competing, then in 1996 she decided to focus primarily on helping David’s paddling career and became his full-time coach.
He says he carried the Olympic flame through Washington, D.C.
Hearn’s website claims he was an Olympic torchbearer at the last Summer Olympics held in the United States – the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Hearn was one of 23 canoe/kayak athletes who participated in the national Olympic torch relay, and Hearn was chosen to carry the flame to Washington, DC.
“It was an incredible honor to be a torchbearer for the Olympic Games in my own state,” reads a quote from him on the website.
FORMER OLYMPIAN AMONG THOSE CHARGED WITH VANDALIZING REFLECTING POOL, TRUMP TRIPS IMMEDIATE REPAIRS: REPORT
A storybook career
Hearn repeatedly had to settle for silver behind his own training partner, Jon Lugbill, at the World Championships. Hearn took second place behind Lugbill at the event in 1979, 1981 and 1983 before finally breaking through to win his first individual gold medal at the World Championships in 1985.
But after that the fierce rivalry continued, with Hearn winning silver behind Lugbill twice in 1987 and 1989. But Hearn refused to fade away.
A full decade after his first individual title, in 1995, Hearn, 36, defied the odds and reclaimed gold at the C-1 World Championship. His teammates then hoisted him into the air, carrying him on their shoulders, while he was still seated inside his canoe.
Following his triumph in 1995, Hearn was named U.S. Male Canoe/Kayak Athlete of the Year. He represented the United States in three consecutive Summer Olympics: 1992, 1996 and 2000.
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A story with the park police
Hearn’s arrest this week was not the first, as his history with the U.S. Park Police dates back nearly three decades, according to a 1996 Washington Post article.
That year, the Potomac River turned violent, as intense, heavy rains pushed the water to a terrifying and near-record flood level of 60,000 cubic feet per second.
Authorities immediately ordered the emergency closure of the river. Where the government saw mortal danger, the Olympian saw an irresistible, thriving playground.
Hearn took his whitewater canoe straight into the raging rapids.
U.S. Park Police officers quickly spotted him from the shore. They shouted above the roaring water, ordering the Olympian to paddle to the river bank.
The moment Hearn’s boat hit the federally controlled coast, agents moved in and arrested him.
He was charged with failing to obey a lawful order. But Hearn fought the case in court – and won thanks to a stunning technicality.
A federal judge completely dismissed the charges. The judge ruled that the Potomac River itself was controlled by the state of Maryland, meaning the federal Park Police had no jurisdiction over the water.
Additionally, because the police had ordered Hearn to paddle to the federal side of the river, they could not legally penalize him for his presence.
But now, nearly 30 years later, Hearn’s curiosity and his old Park Police rivals would collide again.
His latest viral arrest
Hearn was finishing a grueling 52-mile bike ride when he swung by the Reflecting Pool this week.
Paint is peeling from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
Hearn went down into the water. He insists he didn’t pull or tear anything. But that didn’t matter.
Moments later, the 67-year-old man was surrounded by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police officers.
Journalist Emily Miller was there. She filmed a two-minute video of Hearn being arrested, which quickly went viral on X.
Miller accused Hearn of grabbing a hose that National Park Service employees were using to remove algae. Hearn denied the accusation, although he admitted his bicycle tire could have hit him.
“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the Washington Post. “By the time I realized what was happening, I was being handcuffed.”
Hearn was charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
In a statement on Truth Social Saturday evening, Trump announced that “many additional people” had been arrested after suspects “took some form of knife or blade and made a 250-foot-long gash in the beautiful facade of what took so much labor, skill and money to build and complete.”
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The president also claimed that the suspects “discharged corrosive and destructive chemicals” into the pond.
“It hasn’t looked or worked like this since 1922 when it was first built, but even then it sank a lot and didn’t work,” Trump wrote in his post. “Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror-like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, something it never had before! What are these terrible vandals What we have done is a true affront to Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and must be treated accordingly. »
PK Press Club Digital has contacted an email address on Hearn’s website for comment.
