WASHINGTON, July 2 (DC Times Online) — David Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., on a felony property-damage charge tied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to court records and a statement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Prosecutors allege Hearn damaged a liner or sealant at the pool and caused more than $1,000 in damage, according to remarks attributed to Pirro in later reporting. The exact wording of the charge was not included in the materials reviewed.
Hearn has denied damaging the pool. He told ABC News that he stopped during a bike ride on June 19 to look at the renovated Reflecting Pool and touched a loose blue coating or liner, but did not rip or remove anything.
“I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool,” Hearn told ABC News. “The condition of that part and all other parts of the Reflecting Pool were in the same condition after I walked away as they were before I walked up to it.”
He also said, “I’m a curious citizen,” and said he touched the material because he wanted to see what it felt like.
Hearn’s attorney, Norm Eisen, said the defense would challenge the case. “There’s no justification for this. We plan to challenge it vigorously,” Eisen told The Hill. He also said, “Touching water is not a federal offense.”
Hearn was arrested by U.S. Park Police after the interaction at the federal site, according to the reports. Hearn said National Park Service staff told him to stop touching the material and that he was later held for hours before being told what had happened.
