Olympic Canoeist Faces Felony Over Lincoln Memorial Pool Dip

When a 67-year-old former three-time Olympian reaches into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, you’d think it might end with a gentle warning and a“please don’t do that again.”Instead, David Hearn now faces a felony charge.

The former Olympic canoeist was arrested in late June after allegedly peeling off a section of the newly installed pool liner—a misdemeanor at first glance. But prosecutors, led by U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro, saw something more serious. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Hearn has been indicted on a felony charge of destruction of federal property worth $1,000 or more. A bench warrant was also issued with no bond.

Here’s where the story gets thornier. Hearn has adamantly denied the allegations, insisting he didn’t destroy, break, or peel off any part of the Reflecting Pool. During his initial arrest by U.S. Park Police, he was held for about five hours before release. The escalation from misdemeanor to felony suggests prosecutors believe the damage to the liner—a component of the broader monument restoration that’s been underway since late June—crosses a significant financial threshold. Whether that damage truly tallies $1,000 or more remains unclear from the available details.

The context here matters. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a flashpoint during ongoing renovations, with Trump condemning any attempts to touch the water and security ramped up significantly in the wake of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations. Multiple people have been arrested for alleged vandalism of the pool during this period, turning what’s historically been an accessible public monument into something approaching Fort Knox.

For Hearn, the stakes have shifted dramatically. What might once have been a minor citation now carries the weight of federal felony prosecution, complete with the prospect of no bail. Whether the charge will ultimately stick depends on whether prosecutors can prove both the damage and its monetary value—but for now, the Olympic legacy of a three-time competitor in the sport collides headfirst with post-birthday monument security theater.