Former U.S. Olympian Indicted in Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case

WASHINGTON — A former three-time U.S. Olympic canoeist now finds himself paddling through legal trouble after a grand jury indicted him on a felony charge alleging he vandalized the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the nation’s capital.

David “Davey” Hearn, 67, is accused of intentionally damaging the pool’s newly installed blue liner on June 19, causing more than $1,000 in damage. If convicted of felony destruction of property, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

The indictment comes just weeks after the Reflecting Pool reopened following a $14.7 million renovation, a project that has already drawn headlines after sections of the liner reportedly began peeling and algae blooms appeared shortly after the work was completed.

According to prosecutors, Hearn “maliciously” pulled up portions of the liner from the bottom of the famous pool. Witnesses, including National Park Service employees, allegedly saw him tugging at the material and told him to stop.

Hearn insists that’s not what happened.

He says he was simply on a bicycle ride and stopped to inspect a section of liner that was already loose. As someone with a background in materials science, Hearn said he was curious about reports that the brand-new surface was already coming apart. He acknowledges touching the liner but maintains he neither ripped nor damaged it.

His attorneys have blasted the indictment as politically motivated, arguing their client is being turned into a scapegoat for problems that may have originated with the renovation itself rather than any act of vandalism.

Federal prosecutors disagree.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the government intends to prove Hearn intentionally damaged one of America’s best-known monuments and vowed to pursue the case aggressively.

Meanwhile, the Reflecting Pool has become almost as famous for its repair work as for the monuments it reflects.

After the multimillion-dollar renovation, officials have dealt with peeling liner, algae growth, and now allegations of vandalism—all before many visitors had a chance to admire the finished project.

Whether Hearn is ultimately found responsible will be decided in court.

One thing, however, seems beyond dispute:

When a brand-new, multimillion-dollar project starts falling apart almost immediately, someone is going to wind up explaining it—and everyone involved would probably prefer that explanation not include the phrase, “An Olympian reached down and pulled it apart with his bare hands.”