Former US Olympian arrested for vandalizing reflecting pool, Trump admin warns defilers 'will be prosecuted to the full extent'

A former US Olympic canoeist was arrested Saturday after allegedly vandalizing the newly refurbished Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial, as the Trump administration vows to prosecute vandals.

67-year-old David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, allegedly vandalized the Reflecting Pool and was arrested by the US Park Police on Friday. Hearn denied the accusation, telling the Associated Press he merely reached into the pool to examine the peeling new coating. 

"I'm a curious citizen," Hearn said. "I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery."

Hearn represented the US in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Summer Olympics. He was also named the USA Canoe/Kayak Male Athlete of the Year. 

Hearn has a history of arrests with the US Park Police. In 1996 he was arrested after canoeing in the Potomac River despite an emergency river closure. He was charged with failing to obey a lawful order, and eventually won in court after a federal judge ruled that park police did not have jurisdiction over the water.

In the most recent incident, Hearn was reportedly finishing a 52-mile bike ride when he approached the Reflecting Pool and put his hand in, only to be confronted by Park Police and National Guard troops. Journalist Emily Miller, who was present, said that he had grabbed a hose that national park service workers were using to clear the algae.

The reflecting pool has stoked anger in many left-wing activists, who have taken issue with the Trump administration’s effort to clean up the monument. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump revealed on Truth Social that vandals have sabotaged the pool.

"Things are really looking good in our Nation’s Capital, and add to that the fact that when I became President, Crime was rampant, and now, Washington, D.C., is one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the United States," Trump posted on Truth Social. "However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial.”

In a post on Sunday night, Trump added that “Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool.”

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News that vandals, either attempting or vandalizing the pool, will face charges in DC. Pirro said several citations have been handed down and that "These cases will be prosecuted to the fullest extent."