Three-time Olympic canoeist David Hearn denies vandalizing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after arrest

A former US Olympic canoeist has been arrested in Washington, DC, after authorities accused him of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an allegation he strongly denies. David Hearn, a three-time Olympian, was taken into custody Friday, June 19 near the national monument after an encounter with US Park Police.

The video footage shared online showed the 67 year old appearing confused as members of the National Guard and Park Police approached him before placing him in handcuffs.

According to Hearn, he had been riding his bicycle past the reflecting pool when he noticed what appeared to be a section of liner already detached and floating in the water. He said he stopped to inspect the area and briefly touched the material.


“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told The Washington Post. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” he said.

Hearn further explained his actions, saying, “I reached in there, and I was able to grab the end of that flapping piece, the already peeling piece. It was still attached to the bottom. I didn’t remove anything.”

Conservative journalist Emily Miller, who has been reporting on the reflecting pool renovation project, posted more than two minutes of footage from the scene on X. In her post, Miller alleged that Hearn “grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae.”


Miller later challenged Hearn's defense on social media, questioning why he interacted with the section of liner near National Park Service employees who were working on the Reflecting Pool at the time.

Authorities have not publicly detailed the specific allegations beyond claims that the reflecting pool suffered damage. Hearn is scheduled to appear in court on July 9.

The arrest came just hours before President Donald Trump publicly addressed reported damage to the newly renovated landmark.

"We've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

A day later, Trump said law enforcement had made several arrests in connection with the incident.

"Who would do such a thing?" he wrote. "These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair."

Who is David Hearn?

David Carter "Davey" Hearn, 67, is one of the most accomplished canoe slalom athletes in U.S. history. Born on April 17, 1959, in Bethesda, Maryland, Hearn competed internationally from the late 1970s through the early 2000s and represented the United States at three Olympic Games.

His Olympic appearances came at the 1992 Barcelona Games, where he finished 11th in the men's C1 event, the 1996 Atlanta Games, where he recorded a career-best ninth-place finish, and the 2000 Sydney Games, where he placed 12th.

Beyond the Olympics, Hearn enjoyed a distinguished career at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, winning 13 medals, including eight golds and five silvers. His achievements include individual world titles in the men's C1 event in 1985 and 1995, as well as six consecutive team world championship gold medals between 1979 and 1989.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Hearn comes from a family deeply involved in the sport. His sister, Cathy Hearn, also represented the United States in canoe slalom and captured a world championship title in 1979.