A federal grand jury indicted former U. S.
Olympic canoeist David Hearn on Thursday, July 2, 2026, for allegedly vandalizing the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.
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C.
District of Columbia U. S.
Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that the 67-year-old resident of Bethesda, Maryland, faces a felony charge of destruction of property.
Authorities accused Hearn of causing over $1,000 in damage by ripping up recently installed sealant from the bottom of the pool on June 19, 2026.
Pirro stated that investigators possess substantial evidence against the three-time Olympian, who allegedly used both hands to forcefully pull up the lining and acted belligerently toward a park employee.
"The indictment is in response to an incident that occurred on June 19th of 2026, in which the defendant, Hearn, ripped a piece of recently installed sealant on the bottom of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial," said Pirro.
The prosecutor emphasized that the actions directly disrupted extensive federal restoration efforts across the National Mall.
"This was a deliberate act to damage the reflecting pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore," said Pirro.
Pirro noted that U. S.
Park Police have made approximately six other misdemeanor arrests and issued five federal citations related to recent vandalism at the site.
"This is a case with tremendous evidence," said Pirro.
