WASHINGTON, July 2 (DC Times Online) — A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted former U.S. Olympian David Hearn on a felony property-destruction charge over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to court records and a statement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Pirro said prosecutors believe Hearn willfully destroyed property at the site and caused more than $1,000 in damage, including about two square feet of sealant from the pool liner. The indictment follows Hearn’s June 19 arrest by U.S. Park Police after an encounter at the newly renovated pool.
Hearn told ABC News that he stopped during a bike ride to look at the pool’s blue surface and touched a loose piece of coating or liner. He said he did not damage the pool and described himself as “a curious citizen.”
“The condition of that part and all other parts of the Reflecting Pool were in the same condition after I walked away as they were before I walked up to it,” Hearn told ABC News.
His attorney, Norm Eisen, said the defense plans to fight the case and rejected the allegation. “There’s no justification for this. We plan to challenge it vigorously,” Eisen told The Hill.
