Federal prosecutors have decided not to pursue the criminal case against former U.S. Olympian David “Davey” Hearn. They concluded that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resulted from a flawed installation, not vandalism.
U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, filed a motion on Friday to dismiss the charge of felony destruction of government property. This decision was based on new evidence showing that defects in the pool’s liner caused it to fail. The new findings cleared Hearn of the accusation that he intentionally caused the damage.
Hearn, who competed as a U.S. Olympic canoeist three times, was indicted earlier this year. Authorities had accused him of pulling up parts of the Reflecting Pool’s new blue liner during a visit to the National Mall in June. Initially, the government claimed the damage exceeded $1,000, leading to a felony charge with a potential 10-year prison sentence.
Hearn consistently denied any intentional wrongdoing. He explained that during a bike ride, he noticed some liner sections were already peeling and handled a loose piece without causing further harm. His legal team contended that he had been falsely accused of problems that arose from the pool’s renovation.
As the investigation proceeded, evidence revealed that the liner had started to separate before Hearn arrived. The court’s filing on Friday indicated that the peeling began “[a]lmost immediately” after the work was completed.
This move represents a significant shift from the original allegations by the government, effectively closing the case. The Reflecting Pool underwent extensive rehabilitation before reopening, but reports of peeling liner and other issues raised questions about the renovation quality. The government’s latest filing has redirected attention from Hearn to the construction and installation quality.
The case attracted national attention due to Hearn’s Olympic status and the incident’s connection to a famous memorial. Prosecutors’ acknowledgment that construction flaws, not vandalism, were involved, brings the criminal proceedings to an end.
This is a breaking news story and additional updates may follow.