US Olympian Arrested for ‘Vandalizing’ Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

An American Olympian found himself in handcuffs in Washington, D.C., after allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — though he insists the whole thing is a massive misunderstanding.

David Hearn, a 67-year-old former U.S. Olympic canoeist who competed in three Summer Games, was arrested Friday near one of the nation’s most iconic monuments after Park Police accused him of damaging the troubled reflecting pool.

But Hearn says he did no such thing.

According to Hearn, he was riding his bike past the Lincoln Memorial when he noticed what appeared to be a loose piece of the pool’s liner floating in the water. He told The Washington Post that he stopped, reached out, and touched the detached material.

Moments later, he says, officers moved in.

“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the outlet.

“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” he added.

The arrest comes as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has already been under national scrutiny. President Donald Trump said Friday that vandals had damaged the recently renovated pool, adding that authorities were investigating the incident.

The reflecting pool, one of the most recognizable landmarks in America, has also recently drawn attention over algae problems and ongoing maintenance issues. Images from the site have shown crews working to remove algae from the water, while the latest alleged damage has only added to frustrations over the condition of the historic monument.

Hearn, who last competed for Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, reportedly spent nearly five hours detained at a Park Police facility in Hains Point.

It remains unclear whether he will face charges.

For now, the case has raised questions about whether police caught a vandal in the act — or whether a decorated American athlete was arrested for simply touching debris that was already floating in the water.

The incident remains under investigation.