The man US Park Police arrested for allegedly vandalizing Washington's newly refurbished Reflecting Pool is David "Davey" Hearn, 67, a three-time Olympic slalom canoeist and two-time world champion. He says he stopped mid-bike-ride to touch a strip of rubbery paint that was already peeling off the bottom on its own.
Hearn was detained Friday at the pool's edge, finishing a 64-mile ride, and held about five hours without a phone call. He now faces a misdemeanor charge of destroying government property and a court date next month. He says he removed a cycling glove, briefly touched a chunk of coating still attached to the side, and let go when a park worker told him to. "The condition of any part of the reflecting pool didn't change," he told the BBC.
Trump's version is bigger. On Truth Social he said Park Police "arrested multiple individuals" for "very serious crimes," warned of "Years in jail," and alleged vandals had used chemicals to "destroy and demean" the work and had wrecked the grass three days earlier. [1] Online the framing hardened fast: one post celebrating the arrests drew more than 60,000 likes and demanded "SHOW NO MERCY." [2]
Here is what is actually confirmed. One person was named and arrested, and it was Hearn. The pool, all 2,030 feet of it between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, turned fluorescent green from an algae bloom, and the fresh "American Flag Blue" coating Trump personally picked began peeling off the bottom in sheets. [3] Crews dumped bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water to fight the algae. As CBS noted, even if someone did peel paint from the side, that would not explain clouds of algae or blue paint detaching from the bottom of the pool. [3]
The refurbishment cost an estimated $13m and was meant to fix decades of leaks, faulty plumbing and algae before America's 250th birthday celebrations. A viral video of the arrest claims Hearn "grabbed the hose" park workers were using to clear algae; he says his bike tire may have nudged it and denies taking anything. [4]
Trump says the pool will likely have to be drained again for repairs. Hearn, who called his prosecution "arbitrary" and "capricious," is looking for a lawyer.
Sources
Primary source: Former Olympian denies vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool after arrest
- Tweet by @Acyn — @Acyn · community
- Tweet by @nicksortor — @nicksortor · community
- Trump says several people arrested for alleged vandalism of Reflecting Pool — reporting
- Tweet by @emilymiller — @emilymiller · community