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Olympian David Hearn was arrested for allegedly touching the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool amid President Donald Trump’s allegations that vandalism occurred at the monument.
The canoeist, 67, told the Washington Post on Saturday, June 20, that he was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor destruction of government property the previous day and detained for five hours before eventually being released. Hearn has been ordered to answer the charge in a Washington D.C. Superior Court on July 9.
Per Hearn, he wrapped up a 52-mile bike ride by stopping by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has undergone a controversial $14 million renovation project to paint the bottom of the pool “American flag blue.” The athlete said he noticed a section of detached liner and reached inside the water to see what the piece felt like.
“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything,” he told the Post. “By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
He added, “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.”
The 2000 Summer Olympics canoeist stressed that he “didn’t vandalize anything.”
Conservative Emily Miller shared footage of Hearn’s arrest, though she claimed that he’d “grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae.” Hearn denied those accusations, though he acknowledged that his bicycle may have touched the hose.
Us Weekly has reached out to the U.S. Park Police for comment.
This incident occurred hours before Trump, 80, claimed via TruthSocial that vandals were responsible for deterioration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
“We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington,D.C.,” the president wrote on Friday, June 19. “Things are really looking good in our Nation’s Capital, and add to that the fact that when I became president, Crime was rampant, and now, Washington, D.C., is one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the United States.”
Park Service employees use vacuums to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
He went on, “However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial. Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.”
The New York Times reported on Friday that the pool seemed to be rejecting elements of its renovation, with excessive peeling, “chunks of coating” and sections of “American flag blue” visible to visitors amid an ongoing algae problem.
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Trump insisted that saboteurs somehow used chemicals “to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” though those accusations have not been proven.
“It’s a shame that the Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country, are free to do so,” the president added on Friday. “Law Enforcement is actively investigating this situation, and will hopefully have it resolved soon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
