On June 19, David Hearn was taken into custody by the United States Park Police for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
Hearn, 67, is a former slalom canoeist who represented the USA in three summer Olympics.
On July 2, he was indicted by a grand jury in the District of Columbia Superior Court and charged with one felony count of destruction of government property, with the value exceeding $1,000. It carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison if proven guilty.
At the time of his arrest, David Hearn was charged with a misdemeanor. When asked why the charge was elevated to a felony, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a press conference on Thursday:
“This is a case with tremendous evidence and the evidence dictates where we land.”
Pirro didn’t provide details about the alleged evidence except witnesses whom she claimed “have no agenda… just working there,” and seemingly saw the defendant cause “damage to a national monument.”
David Hearn: Life and career
David “Davey” Hearn was born in Bethesda, Maryland, in April 1959. He was a slalom canoe racer for three decades from the late 1970s to the early 2000s.
During his lengthy career, Hearn won five silver (1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989) and two gold medals (1985 and 1995) at the C1 event in the ICF Slalom World Championships.
He was also part of the C1 team event that won gold medals at six consecutive championships between 1979 and 1989.
David Hearn is also a three-time Summer Olympian, representing his country in 1992, 1996, and 2000, in Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney, respectively. His best finish was coming ninth at the 1996 Games.
Besides canoe, Davey also raced in kayaks. His sister, Cathy Hearn, is also a former canoe slalom athlete and won the ICF World Championship title at the C1 Women event in 1979. The brother-sister duo trained together at Great Falls alongside Jon Lugbill. His ex-brother-in-law, Lecky Haller, is a retired slalom canoeist.
In a past interview, David Hearn revealed that he decided to become a professional canoeist after Jamie McEwan won the bronze in whitewater slalom at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
It is noteworthy that Mr Hearn was canoeing on the Potomac River in 1996 monsoon when the U.S. Park Police asked him to stop. When he didn’t listen, David was taken into custody and charged with disobeying a federal officer and resisting arrest. The charges were later dropped when the prosecution realized the Park Police had no jurisdiction over the portion of the waterbody where he was canoeing.
That same year, Davey helped the Park Police rescue fishermen stranded offshore without life-saving vests using his canoeing skills.
Now, amid Hearn’s indictment, a GoFundMe was launched by Allen Mayers titled “Justice for Olympian Davey Hearn” with a goal of $90,000. At the time of writing, it has raised $82,712 from more than 1,100 donations. The fundraiser covers Hearn’s legal expenses and secures a “fair defense against false charges.”
According to CNN, the grand jury indictment found that David Hearn
“maliciously did injure, break and destroy certain property, that is, the lining material of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
Meanwhile, his lawyer Norm Eisen told reporters:
“Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American. This indictment reflects the Administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures. On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative.”
On the day of the incident, Davey was detained by the Park Police and National Guard for five hours before being released on bail.
At least half a dozen individuals have also been arrested for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool and are facing misdemeanor/ violation charges, according to U.S. Attorney Pirro.
Donald Trump was the first to accuse David Hearn and multiple others of alleged vandalism near the Lincoln Memorial, where he had launched a $14 million renovation project ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. However, days after the completion, reports emerged that the massive pool was plagued by algae growth and peeling paint.
David Hearn told authorities and the press that he was inspecting the sealer partially attached to the side and bottom of the pool and did nothing to damage/ remove the paint. He also claimed he stopped by the structure during a 64-mile bike ride as his company produced composite materials used to build waterfronts.
His next court hearing date remains undisclosed.
Edited by Pallavi K