Former Olympian Declares Himself Innocent After Arrest for Washington Reflecting Pool Incident
David "Davey" Hearn, 67, a former American Olympic athlete, was detained near the Reflecting Pool at the base of the Washington Monument last Friday. He says his only interaction with the pool was to touch a strip of rubber that had peeled from the bottom during a bike ride, and that he did nothing to damage the paint or structure.
The arrest was logged by US Park Police and National Guard troops, who seized Hearn for alleged vandalism, prompting a video that circulated on social media. Hearn was handcuffed, taken to a jail cell for about five hours, and denied the ability to make a phone call.
President Donald Trump, who oversaw a multi‑million dollar renovation of the pool, claimed the pool had been vandalised and advocated immediate repairs that might involve draining the water. He attributed the damage to “multiple individuals for vandalising” the monument, although no evidence has been presented to support those claims.
The Reflecting Pool, which stretches 2,030 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, has long suffered from leaks, algae and paint issues. Despite a recent $13 million restoration, algae remains a problem and pieces of the new blue paint are now peeling.
Hearn, who has competed in three Olympic Games and won two world championships in slalom canoeing, says this was “an arbitrary, capricious prosecution” and that he was made an example of. He stresses that the pool’s visual beauty remains intact and that anyone touching its surface is welcome, provided they respect the property.
