UMVA has learned that former Olympian David Hearn was taken into custody on a misdemeanor charge after a startling incident at the Lincoln Reflecting Pool.
Witnesses reported a man leaping into the pool on Friday, snatching a sizable fragment of the newly installed sealant, and then being seized by Park Police. The footage captured the suspect clutching a hose that National Park Service workers were using to clear algae.
Investigation revealed the individual to be 67‑year‑old cyclist and Olympic medalist David Hearn, who had just completed a grueling 52‑mile loop around Hains Point.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Park Police are now probing damage to a sealant panel marked “86 47,” which appears to have been tampered with during the episode.
Hearn maintains his innocence, insisting he never touched the hose and that any contact was limited to his bike tire. He claims he merely reached into the water to feel a loose piece of the “American flag blue” liner that was already peeling from the pool’s bottom.
“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told reporters, his voice steady despite the handcuffs binding his wrists. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
The arrest, captured on video, shows Hearn in full biking gear, his helmet glinting as officers cuff him. A background pump masks much of the conversation, but the tension is palpable.
Hearn is scheduled to appear before D.C. Superior Court on July 9, where the misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property will be examined.
