Former Olympic Athlete Indicted for Allegedly Vandalizing Reflecting Pool

Former Olympic Athlete Indicted for Allegedly Vandalizing Reflecting Pool

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced a grand jury has indicted a former Olympic athlete on charges related to vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Authorities arrested former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, on June 19.

The grand jury “returned an indictment against Hearn for one count of felony destruction of property in violation of DC Code § 22–303.”

Pirro said at a press conference:

So today, a grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he faces ten years in prison.

The indictment is in response to an incident that occurred on June 19 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. The evidence shows, and we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hurn willfully destroyed property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 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 and have witnessed.

By Hearn’s own admission, on June 19th, he reached down into the pool. Our evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands.

According to witnesses, Hearn damaged approximately two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool. A Parks employee actually told Hearn to stop, to stop his behavior and stop what he was doing. Hearn reacted by shouting at that Parks employee, saying that she cared too much about the Reflecting Pool, and why did she even care, since it wasn’t her pool?

Now, Mr. Hearn’s behavior was characterized by witnesses as belligerent, rude and disrespectful, according to National Park Service employees that witnessed the event.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announces an indictment against David Hearn for ripping up a piece of the Reflecting Pool floor…

“So today, a grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he… pic.twitter.com/CjZJYX7w3L

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 2, 2026

Pirro confirmed her office has six other cases from six arrests in connection with the vandalism.

Unlike Hearn, Pirro said those cases could result in misdemeanors or just a violation.

I cannot find the indictment, and Pirro told the press she would “get into the evidence” when asked how Hearn allegedly damaged the pool:

Pirro: “You know, I’m not going to get into the evidence, but what I told you is what our witnesses saw and experienced. There was an effort, a violent effort, to rip up the sealant from the bottom of the pool. And irrespective of whether or not, you know, we think that, you know, there — there is some situation that preceded it, we can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage, and that damage is over $1,000.”

Reporter: “Keying in on that, how do you prove that $1,000 —”

Pirro: “With an expert!”

Reporter: [Inaudible].

Pirro: “Come to the trial!”

Reporter: “It has to be drained? Like, that — because it has to be

Pirro: “You can — we — we’ll hear all that at the trial.”

Reporter on the Reflecting Pool indictment: “Is this part of the pool? You know, there had been some damage before. Was — was this part of the pool specifically? Some of the — was the sealant already partially removed? Did he rip it back? Can you just describe in detail because… pic.twitter.com/f5XOG0VQuf

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 2, 2026

Despite her assertion, Pirro admitted that her office believes Hearn damaged the pool with “his bare hands – both hands.”

Pirro grew a bit testy when the reporter confronted her about the videos of the incident:

Reporter: “Did he have any tools or was it just his bare hands?”

Pirro: “Right now, we believe it’s his bare hands — both hands.”

Reporter: “Does that indicate, in your belief, that it was probably damaged before? or do you believe that he —”

Pirro: “Oh, he damaged it.”

Reporter: “further? But do you believe it had already been damaged before he —”

Pirro: “He damaged the pool!”

Reporter: “— before he touched the pool?”

Pirro: “He damaged this pool.”

Reporter: “But there have been, you know, all these videos —”

Pirro: “Well, good. I’m glad you’ve got that evidence. Come on in the grand jury. You can testify.”

Reporter: “Did he have any tools or was it just his bare hands?”

Pirro: “Right now, we believe it’s his bare hands — both hands.”

Reporter: “Does that indicate, in your belief, that it was probably damaged before? or do you believe that he —”

Pirro: “Oh, he damaged it.”… pic.twitter.com/VtLzR85Wns

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 2, 2026

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