A U.S. Olympian canoeist who was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial has been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
David Hearn, 67, willfully and “violently” damaged a 2-square-foot section of the sealant at the pool on June 19 after it was renovated by order of President Donald Trump, according to Pirro.
“By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” Hearn said.
Pirro stated that Hearn admitted to reaching down into the pool and that National Park Service employees observed him forcefully pulling up and removing the bottom liner “with both hands.” A National Park Service employee reportedly told Hearn to stop what he was doing. Hearn reacted by shouting at that Parks employee, saying she cared too much about the reflecting pool.
The witnesses described Hearn’s behavior as “belligerent, rude, and disrespectful.” Hearn denied damaging the liner in his public statements: “I didn’t vandalize anything,” he said. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything.”
The renovation of the reflecting pool has been mocked by many on the left, but others say it was a necessary and reasonable effort to clean up the monument for the 250th anniversary celebration.
Pirro noted that Hearn’s actions were deliberate: “This was a deliberate act to damage the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore and have witnessed.” She added that there are about six other similar cases being investigated, with some potentially resulting in misdemeanors or violations.
