WASHINGTON, July 2 (DC Times Online) — Former U.S. Olympian and canoeist David Hearn was indicted in Washington, D.C., on a felony property-destruction charge over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, court records and statements from the U.S. attorney said.
The case stems from Hearn’s arrest by U.S. Park Police on June 19 after he stopped during a bike ride near the Reflecting Pool, according to accounts he gave to ABC News and the Associated Press through ESPN. Hearn said he reached into the newly renovated surface and touched a loose piece of blue coating or liner.
“I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool,” Hearn told ABC News. He said the condition of the pool was the same after he walked away and that he was not told why he was being held.
Hearn also said he had been riding toward the area when he stopped to look at the surface. He described himself to the AP as “a curious citizen” and said, “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”
Federal prosecutors, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, alleged that Hearn deliberately pulled up and removed part of the bottom liner and caused more than $1,000 in damage, according to coverage that cited her remarks. Pirro said the government would prove he “willfully destroyed property” at the site.
Hearn’s lawyer, Norm Eisen, said the defense would fight the case. “There’s no justification for this. We plan to challenge it vigorously,” Eisen said.
Court records showed Hearn was scheduled to appear in D.C. court on July 9.
