Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn has been indicted by a grand jury on charges related to an incident at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool last month. Hearn, 67, who competed in the Summer Games for the U.S. in 1992, 1996, and 2000, was arrested on June 19.
According to a statement to The Washington Post, Hearn stated he was arrested after picking up a piece of the pool's liner that was floating in the water. "I didn't vandalize anything," Hearn was quoted as saying. "I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs."
The incident occurred during a period when the Trump administration was addressing alleged vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. The pool had recently undergone renovations costing more than $16 million but had been experiencing issues with algae and peeling sealant. A U.S. Attorney's office scheduled an announcement to detail the indictment.