Three-Time Olympian Arrested Over Lincoln Memorial Vandalism
Former three-time Olympic canoeist David Hearn was arrested at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for allegedly damaging federal property, though he denies wrongdoing and claims he only touched loose material.
David Hearn, a 67-year-old Maryland resident, was taken into custody Friday by U.S. Park Police after authorities alleged he tampered with material inside the Reflecting Pool, according to Breitbart News.
Hearn has categorically denied the allegations, stating he merely examined a section of liner that had already become detached from the structure.
The former Olympian told The Washington Post that he did not vandalize, destroy, break, or peel anything, and was placed in handcuffs before he could fully comprehend the situation.
Video footage of the arrest spread rapidly on social media, showing National Guard personnel confronting Hearn before U.S. Park Police officers placed him under arrest. The decorated athlete appeared visibly confused throughout the encounter.
Hearn insists he never removed any material from the pool nor caused damage to the historic site. The Reflecting Pool has been under scrutiny in recent weeks due to maintenance issues, including algae growth and deterioration affecting sections of a newly installed liner.
The Washington Post reported Hearn was held in custody for nearly five hours. Court records indicate he is scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court on July 9 facing a misdemeanor charge related to destruction of government property.
The athlete enjoyed a distinguished career spanning from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. He captured two individual world championship titles and earned five silver medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. Hearn represented the United States at three Summer Olympic Games, with his strongest performance coming at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where he finished ninth.
The arrest occurred on the same day President Trump publicly voiced concerns about damage at the Reflecting Pool, which recently completed a 14.8 million dollar rehabilitation project.
Trump addressed the situation on Truth Social, noting that the beautiful Reflecting Pool situated between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial had experienced real problems with vandalism. He stated that algae had been reduced by 75 percent and conditions would soon be completely remedied, with the vandalized area representing only a small portion of damage set to be repaired early the following week.
The president suggested that Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Democrats who have dedicated their lives to ruining the country, were responsible for the damage.
Trump further alleged that individuals had recently vandalized newly restored areas surrounding the pool and suggested chemicals may have been deployed to harm sections of the project. He drew comparisons to separate vandalism incidents reported elsewhere on the National Mall, while assuring the public that repairs were already underway and both the damage and lingering algae problems would be resolved within days.
With information from Breitbart News
