WASHINGTON, July 2 (DC Times Online) — A federal grand jury has indicted former U.S. Olympian David Hearn in Washington in connection with alleged damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to court records and a statement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Prosecutors allege Hearn tore or removed about two square feet of sealant or liner from the pool and caused more than $1,000 in damage, Pirro said in remarks reported by the New York Post and ABC Australia.
Hearn has denied damaging the Reflecting Pool. He told ABC News that he stopped there during a bike ride, reached down to touch a loose blue coating and left when he was told to stop.
“I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool,” Hearn told ABC News. He also said, “I’m a curious citizen.”
U.S. Park Police arrested Hearn after the encounter on June 19, and his lawyer, Norm Eisen, said the defense would fight the case. “There’s no justification for this. We plan to challenge it vigorously,” Eisen told The Hill.
