David "Davey" Hearn, a former US Olympic slalom canoeist, was detained on Friday by park police after a bike ride at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
According to Hearn, he merely removed his cycling glove to touch a long strip of rubbery material that was already delaminating from the pool’s bottom. He insists he caused no damage, saying the paint “was the same before I got there as when I walked away from it.”
The incident came a week after the pool finished a multi‑million dollar refurbishment aimed at greening it for the country’s 250th anniversary. Despite the makeover, the pool has struggled with leaks, algae growth and paint peeling, prompting frequent media coverage and public concern.
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, criticised the arrest, claiming multiple individuals had vandalised the pool and calling for repairs. He described the situation as “serious crimes” threatening national monuments and hinted that the pool might need to be drained for further work.
Hearn said he was hand‑cuffed and held for about five hours in jail without ability to call. He called the prosecution “arbitrary” and suggested that senior officials sought to make an example of him.
He has competed in three Olympic Games and won two world championships, and has also designed boats and paddles. He expressed curiosity over the composition of the paint used in the recent renovation, noting that a national news presenter had also touched the material in a report on the unfinished work.
The pool spans 2,030 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, and has been subject to structural deterioration, faulty pipes and bird droppings for decades. The recent repair project cost an estimated $13 million and was chosen for a custom “American Flag Blue” shade chosen by President Trump.
A video posted on social media shows Hearn near a water‑pumping hose that was lying across a footpath. He appears speaking to a woman before being approached by National Guard troops, who then place him in handcuffs.
Despite the controversy, Hearn maintains that he did not destroy or remove any paint and that the incident was a misunderstanding. He described the pool as “really pretty” despite its current condition.
The incident underscores ongoing debates about maintenance and security at Washington’s iconic landmarks and the political implications of high‑profile attacks on national monuments.
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