Former Olympian Davey Hearn, age 67, was taken into custody at the edge of Washington’s Reflecting Pool on Friday after police stopped him while he was finishing a long bike ride.
Hearn told reporters that he only removed his cycling glove to touch a strip of rubber‑like material that “appeared to have delaminated” from the bottom of the pool. He insists that his brief contact did not alter the pool’s condition.
The incident has attracted attention from President Donald Trump, who in a Truth Social post accused several people of vandalising the “magnificent Reflecting Pool” and threatened to drain and refill the water to repair alleged damage. Trump claimed the pool had been exposed to corrosive chemicals and that “vandalism” had taken place.
The Reflecting Pool has recently been the focus of a multi‑million dollar refurbishment costing approximately $13 million, aimed at ending long‑standing leaks, algae growth and paint failure. The project has had mixed results, with algae returning and patches of paint peeling off since the renovation.
Hearn, who has competed in three Olympic slalom canoe events and won two world championships, argues that he was simply doing a harmless gesture and that the police detainment was an example of “arbitrary, capricious prosecution.” He is now facing a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property. The case highlights the broader debate over maintenance and aesthetics of a historic national monument.
