A federal grand jury has indicted United States Olympic canoeist David Hearn on a felony charge of destruction of property, following an incident at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that allegedly caused more than one thousand dollars in damage.
The indictment, handed down Thursday in District of Columbia Superior Court, stems from events that transpired on June 19, when National Park Service employees observed Hearn allegedly damaging the historic monument’s reflecting pool.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro detailed the allegations at a Thursday news conference, stating that park service employees witnessed Hearn “forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner” of the pool with both hands. According to the indictment, approximately two square feet of sealant from the pool’s bottom sustained damage during the incident.
The facts as presented indicate that a parks employee directly intervened, instructing Hearn to cease his actions. What followed, according to prosecutors, was a confrontational response that raised additional concerns about the athlete’s conduct.
“Hearn reacted by shouting at the parks employee, saying that she cared too much about the Reflecting Pool, and why did she even care, since it wasn’t her pool,” Pirro stated.
Park service employees characterized Hearn’s alleged behavior as “belligerent, rude, and disrespectful,” and prosecutors maintain that the damage to the pool was deliberate rather than accidental.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, constructed in 1922 and 1923, serves as one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks. The rectangular pool stretches more than two thousand feet in length and has been the backdrop for numerous historic events, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.
Hearn has secured legal representation from Norm Eisen, co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, and Mary Dohrmann, Senior Counsel at Washington Litigation Group. The defense team has begun preparing their response to the charges, though no statement was available at the time of this report.
The felony charge carries significant potential consequences. Destruction of federal property valued at more than one thousand dollars constitutes a serious offense under federal law, with penalties that may include substantial fines and imprisonment.
This case raises questions about the protection of national monuments and the responsibilities citizens bear in preserving these symbols of American heritage. The Reflecting Pool underwent extensive renovation from 2010 to 2012, with restoration costs exceeding thirty-four million dollars.
The matter will proceed through the District of Columbia Superior Court system, where Hearn will have the opportunity to answer the charges against him. A trial date has not yet been set.
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