Former Olympian denies vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool after arrest

Davey Hearn says he was simply touching the new paint at the site out of curiosity and did not remove or alter it. Davey Hearn: Former Olympian denies vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool after arrest 'It's dirty' - Americans react to algae in newly renovated Reflecting Pool Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Workers with long poles clean the pool with the Lincoln Monument in the background Former Olympian denies vandalising Washington Reflecting Pool after arrest US workers clean the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC A former US Olympian arrested for allegedly vandalising the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC is denying he did anything wrong. David "Davey" Hearn, 67, was detained by the pool's edge on Friday as he was finishing a long bike ride. Hearn told BBC News that he had removed his cycling glove to simply touch a long strip of rubbery material which appeared to have "delaminated" from the bottom of the pool, when he was stopped by US Park Police and National Guard troops. The champion canoeist is now facing a misdemeanour charge of destruction of government property. The Reflecting Pool has just undergone a multi-million dollar resealing and painting project, but already the paint appears to be peeling off. President Donald Trump has championed the pool's makeover as part of his bid to beautify the US capital ahead of America's 250th birthday celebrations. The historic Reflecting Pool, stretching 2,030ft (619m) between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has long been beset by leaks, structural deterioration, faulty pipes, algae growth and bird droppings. But despite the refurbishment, which cost an estimated $13m (£9.8m), the pool has continued to be plagued by algae and more recently the paint problems, which have seen media and park visitors document pieces of the new blue paint peeling off from the bottom of the pool. A piece of the new blue paint could be seen peeling off the bottom of the pool on Thursday A piece of the new blue paint with a ragged edge, is seen above the water Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday that US Park Police had "arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Pool". "Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments," he continued, adding that "work will begin immediately on its repair". He also shared an article about Hearn's arrest. US Park Police did not reply to request for comment. Hearn told BBC News on Saturday that he "didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part" of the paint. "The condition of any part of the reflecting pool didn't change," he insisted. "It wasn't affected. It was the same before I got there as when I walked away from it." He called his arrest an "arbitrary, capricious prosecution". A video posted to social media of Hearn's arrest shows him standing near a water-pumping hose that is lying across a footpath and speaking to a woman, before walking away and picking up his bike. He is then approached by two National Guard troops, and the video shows that he was later placed in handcuffs, with US Park Police also standing around. The post includes a suggestion that he had grabbed the hose from one of the park workers, though Hearn denied this when speaking with the Washington Post and said it was possible that his bike tyre had moved it. Hearn took this picture of the peeling paint minutes before he was arrested Hearn competed three times in the Olympics in the slalom canoe category, and won two world championships for the sport. He has also designed boats, paddles and other waterproof products, and said he was curious about what materials had been used to paint the pool. The 67-year-old said he only touched the material briefly before he was told by one of the park service workers helping to clean the algae from the pool to stop. He said he had seen a national news presenter also touch the material in a report on the pool problems, adding: "I don't really feel like I did anything wrong." Hearn said he was placed in handcuffs and detained for about five hours in jail, and was not allowed to make a phone call. "It's pretty clear that somebody high up decided to make an example of me," Hearn continued. He said that even with the problems, the Reflecting Pool was "really pretty" regardless of the colour of the water. "It's the reflective surface that gives it its most important quality, especially when it's not windy." Watch: "It's dirty" - Americans react to algae in newly renovated Reflecting Pool A Black woman in black shirt and red sunglasses on the left, and a white man with a hat on the right. The state of the Reflecting Pool has made headlines repeatedly in recent weeks, as the Trump administration awarded no-bid contracts to vendors for the project. The president promised a "beautiful, beautiful reflecting pool" that would "stay clean", and he selected the "American Flag Blue" paint colour himself. He said on Friday that the "algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied". In later posts on Saturday night, Trump claimed, without evidence, that vandals had "poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool" and that damage to the lawn was done with "some form of knife or blade". He also said that contractors had inspected the pool on Saturday, and that they "will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible". The green water is being pumped out of the pool and cleaned Green water is being pumped out, through a hose, and into a drain A man dressed in a blue t-shirt and white bucket hat uses a net to collect algae floating in the Reflecting Pool outside of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The water is a dark green colour, with white foam in places. The BBC Verify logo is in the top-left corner. Why has the renovated Reflecting Pool turned green? A man uses a net to collect algae floating in the Reflecting Pool outside of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Workers and work trucks in the drained Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, which is partially painted blue, with the Washington Monument in the background Trump touts 'American Flag Blue' paint job on Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool The historic pool has turned green with algae just days after it was refilled with water following renovations. The BBC spoke to tourists and locals as the pool undergoes cleaning to remove the algae, just days after it was refilled with water. The Microsoft co-founder spent hours talking to lawmakers behind closed doors, where he also said Epstein used his marital infidelities to pressure him. The US disputed Iran's claim the waterway is shut, a move Tehran says was a response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Victims' families say there are ways to be an ethical true-crime fan - not an exploitative one. 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