Former Olympian David Hearn, 62, has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., following his arrest last month at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Hearn was taken into custody after allegedly reaching into the water of the recently renovated pool.
His attorney stated they were unaware of any developments beyond a prior citation for misdemeanor charges. The incident occurred after former President Donald Trump had issued warnings of severe jail time for anyone vandalizing the pool following its expensive renovations.
Trump, who had promoted the $16 million renovation, voiced his strong disapproval of what he termed vandalism on social media. He claimed that protesters could face "years in jail" for such actions, describing the damage as a "very serious crime having to do with the destruction of National Monuments."
Hearn, however, has denied the accusations, calling them unfounded and a lie. He admitted to touching what he described as a "loose flap of coating," but asserted it was out of curiosity as a concerned citizen, not an act of vandalism. He shared a photograph of peeling paint on the pool's surface, which he had taken shortly before his arrest.
The renovations to the Reflecting Pool were completed on June 6. However, issues such as algae blooms and peeling paint reportedly began appearing less than two weeks later. Trump acknowledged that the pool might require draining for repairs. He also claimed protesters used "corrosive and destructive chemicals" and knives to damage the pool, creating a "250 foot long gash."
Video footage of Hearn's arrest shows him near the Reflecting Pool before being approached by National Guard soldiers and subsequently by police officers. He was handcuffed and claims Lieutenant Stone, whom he identified as a key figure in his arrest, appeared to be the "driving force behind the arrest."
A White House spokeswoman, Taylor Rogers, responded to Hearn's claims, calling his disparagement of law enforcement "despicable" and attributing his actions to "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
Trump stated that several other individuals had also been arrested in connection with the damage to the pool, which he described as a "disgraceful" act of vandalism. He expressed pride in the renovation and vowed to "get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of Beauty."