Former Olympic canoeist indicted by a grand jury after arrest at the Reflecting Pool
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. Supreme Court after he was arrested when he reached the Reflecting Pool last month.
Hearn is accused of destroying property valued at more than $1,000, according to the indictment. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
The D.C. grand jury found that Hearn “maliciously injured, broke, and destroyed certain property, namely the lining material of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,” the indictment said.
An attorney representing Hearn said he was not yet aware of developments in the case because Hearn had previously been sentenced to a lesser misdemeanor charge.
Hearn I told CNN before He said police arrested him after he touched blue material that had partially separated from the bottom of the pool, which reopened last month following President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation.
Hearn said a National Park Service employee warned him not to reach into the water before he was handcuffed by Park Police. He denied damaging the pool and said he was just curious.
Trump warned late last month that people he said “destroyed” the pool could face long prison sentences. Trump also said six people were arrested and several others were charged for alleged vandalism of the pool. None of them, other than Hearn, have been identified publicly.
The pool renovation, which was scheduled to be completed ahead of this weekend’s Independence Day festivities, was beset by problems such as algae and peeling paint or sealant shortly after it reopened to the public last month.
The president also said someone had cut a long slit into the pool with a sharp tool. The federal government has not provided evidence for these claims, and Trump’s estimate of the extent of damage to the pool has fluctuated wildly.
This story is and will be updated.
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