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A three-time Olympian canoeist was arrested for allegedly vandalizing President Donald Trump's shining new Reflecting Pool in Washington DC but the athlete has claimed he merely touched it.
David Hearn was arrested by Park Police officers on Friday for a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property after he said he simply touched the liner of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Post reported.
He told the outlet that he rode past the memorial on a 52-mile bike ride when he noticed the liner was detached, and reached down to feel it.
'I didn't vandalize anything. I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,' Hearn said.
The news of Hearn's arrest was first shared by video footage posted by online journalist Emily Miller, which showed multiple officers crowding around the former Olympian in full cycling gear.
Miller claimed that Hearn 'grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae.'
Hearn's interaction with the police and National Guard appeared cordial. He asked the officers what he was being held for and whether he was free to go.
However, another clip revealed Hearn being handcuffed with his hands behind his back as several officers crowded around him.
David Hearn was arrested on Friday for destruction of government property in Washington DC. He previously competed on Team USA at the Olympics in the 90s
The Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial has been plagued by green algae despite a massive restoration project
Hearn denied the allegations to the Washington Post and said he did not vandalize the Reflecting Pool
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