A Bethesda man and former Olympic canoeist who had been charged with allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been cleared after federal prosecutors acknowledged the damage was caused by a faulty installation, not vandalism.
According to a court filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, prosecutors have moved to dismiss all charges against 67-year-old David Hearn. The filing states that “the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by the U.S. Department of the Interior.”
Hearn, a three-time Olympian and longtime Bethesda resident, was indicted in July on a felony destruction of property charge stemming from a June 19 incident in which he was accused of pulling up a section of recently installed blue sealant from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool. Federal officials had alleged his actions damaged the pool following months of renovations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations…