SouthernWorldwide.com – Several individuals were apprehended this past weekend following alleged acts of vandalism at the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The incidents have drawn a strong rebuke from President Donald Trump, who has vowed swift repairs, and have led to heightened security measures at the iconic site.
Journalist Emily Miller shared a two-minute video on X on Friday, depicting a man in vibrant lime-green athletic attire engaging in a discussion with a National Guardsman before being taken into custody by U.S. Park Police.
The Washington Post later identified the man in Miller’s video as David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympian who competed in three Olympic Games. Hearn was arrested on a misdemeanor charge for the destruction of government property.
Hearn informed the publication that he had just concluded a 52-mile bicycle ride when he observed a “partially detached piece” of the new pool liner. He stated that he “reached into the water to see what it felt like.”
While Miller asserted in her post that Hearn had “grabbed” a hose being utilized by National Park Service workers to manage algae growth, Hearn told The Washington Post that his bicycle tire might have been the only part of him to touch the hose.
“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn stated to the outlet.
Hearn, who was previously arrested in 1996 on charges related to canoeing on the Potomac River, though those charges were later dismissed, commented, “I didn’t destroy, break, or peel anything. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already being handcuffed.”
Miller reported on Saturday that a total of seven people were detained in separate incidents on Friday for entering the pool. These events have precipitated a significant increase in security presence.
President Trump addressed the recent incidents on Saturday afternoon via Truth Social, confirming that Park Police had apprehended “multiple” individuals for vandalizing “our Nation’s magnificent Reflecting Pool.”
“Who would do such a thing?” the president wrote in his post. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”
On Friday, Trump had previously noted that Park Police had encountered “real problems” with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. This comes as the administration faces scrutiny over issues such as peeling paint and algae growth, occurring mere weeks after a $14.8 million restoration project was finalized.
