Former Olympic canoeist David Carter ‘Davey’ Hearn was arrested for destruction of government property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on June 19, 2020, according to The Washington Post. The 67-year-old, who competed in the canoe slalom in three Summer Olympics, was stopped during a 52-mile bike ride to examine the newly renovated pool.

Incident at the Reflecting Pool

Hearn told The Post that he noticed a partially detached liner in the pool, which had been painted ‘American Flag Blue’ as part of its $14 million renovation. He reached into the water to feel the piece, which was already flapping loose. Moments later, he was arrested by U.S. Park Police.

“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything,” Hearn said. “By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.” He claimed the piece was still attached to the bottom of the pool and he did not remove it. Hearn was detained at a Park Police facility for nearly five hours and released around 9 p.m. local time.

Renovation Controversy

President Trump had overseen the renovation of the Reflecting Pool, which included painting the bottom ‘Amerikaflaggen-Blau,’ according to T-Online. However, the pool soon developed issues, with the water turning a sumpf-grün (muddy green) color and the blue paint peeling off. Pieces of the blue liner were seen floating in the pool.

Hearn, a three-time Olympian and two-time world champion in canoe slalom, was among those detained for alleged vandalism. He denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Ich habe nichts zerstört, kaputtgemacht oder abgepellt,” which translates to, “I didn’t destroy, break, or peel anything.” He added, “Als ich begriff, was los war, wurden mir bereits Handschellen angelegt,” meaning, “By the time I understood what was happening, they were already putting handcuffs on me.”

Public and Political Reactions

The pool’s issues have drawn public attention, with headlines noting that Trump’s blue pool was already green soon after opening. Hearn’s arrest occurred just hours before Trump made public claims of vandalism. While the U.S. Park Police confirmed the arrest, they did not comment further. Hearn could not be reached for additional comment at the time of reporting.