Olympic canoeist David Hearn indicted on felony charge over Reflecting Pool damage
Former Olympian David Hearn faces up to 10 years in prison after being indicted for allegedly damaging Washington DC's Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Former Olympian faces 10-year sentence over Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool incident
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, has been indicted on a felony destruction of property charge after allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, Google News MT reports.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the indictment at a news conference on Thursday. "Today, a grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he faces 10 years in prison," said Pirro, a Trump appointee.
Pirro described the destruction of national monuments as "one of the most offensive images" she has ever seen, adding that "unchecked vandalism and civil disorder turns into criminal behaviour."
Hearn has denied any wrongdoing. He says he was cycling past the Reflecting Pool on 19 June when he stopped to examine peeling paint and reached into the water to touch it. He denies removing any material from the pool.
Pirro offered a contrasting account. She said National Park Service employees witnessed Hearn "forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands", causing damage to approximately 2 square feet of pool sealant. A parks employee, Pirro alleged, told Hearn to stop, and Hearn responded by shouting at the employee.
Hearn is one of at least seven people arrested on allegations related to damage at the pool.
A contested renovation
The Reflecting Pool has been at the centre of controversy since President Donald Trump awarded a no-bid contract in April to resurface and seal the granite structure. The $13.1 million project included painting the pool bottom in a colour Trump described as "American flag blue."
Shortly after the pool reopened in early June, it developed an algae bloom and the blue paint began peeling from the bottom. Faced with criticism over the renovation, Trump alleged on Truth Social that vandals had sabotaged the pool and called for a 10-year prison sentence to "be fully enforced" for anyone attempting to damage it.
At the news conference, reporters questioned whether pursuing a felony charge against Hearn was disproportionate, given that similar cases have typically been treated as misdemeanour offences. One journalist asked Pirro directly whether Trump's social media post had influenced her decision to seek a felony indictment.
"I didn't charge anything harshly. I charge according to the evidence," Pirro replied, arguing that the damage Hearn allegedly caused exceeded $1,000, which under applicable law necessitates a felony charge.
Pirro also dismissed comparisons to damage caused during the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, noting that nearly all defendants from that event were pardoned on the first day of Trump's second term. "Are you really talking about January 6th? I'm not," she told one reporter.
A hearing in Hearn's case is scheduled for 9 July.
Visitors divided
On Thursday, workers began setting up large nets across the Reflecting Pool in preparation for the 4 July fireworks display. According to a police officer at the site, the nets are intended to catch debris that might fall into the pool. The area remains fenced off to the public, though visitors have continued to gather to view the pool and its controversial renovation firsthand.
Brian Williams, a 31-year-old from Roscoe, Georgia, expressed support for Trump's renovation efforts and attributed the algae to the natural conditions of still water in summer heat. "I don't think people have any business vandalising anything," Williams said. "If you have something that you dislike about the president, don't take it out on the people's pool."
Jon Delgado, a 40-year-old Navy veteran from Collierville, Tennessee, offered a sharply different view. He said he had brought his family to Washington to see the landmark and was frustrated by its current condition.
"I came here with my wife and my family to show them the beauty of America, the spirit of what we fought for," Delgado said. "To see it trashed like this, it just makes me angry."
Delgado rejected Trump's claims of deliberate sabotage. "We have just got to ask ourselves: Is this where we're at, in the state of America, that we're believing something like this? You can look for yourself: This thing has pond scum all in it, and it stinks. There's no vandalism," he said.
Source: Google News MT