A three-time Olympian and multiple C1 World Championship medal winner, David Hearn has been through it all. Now 67, he’s stayed out of the spotlight, mostly living a quiet life of long bike rides. After his latest ride, he stopped by the Reflecting Pool, stuck his hand in it, and within minutes was in handcuffs.

According to ESPN, the retired canoe racer was among those arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is currently undergoing renovation following President Donald Trump’s launch of a $14 million-plus project. The American president announced that authorities had arrested people vandalizing the property.

As per the Washington Post and Fox News, the former Olympian was on his way back from a 50-plus-mile bike ride when he stopped near the Reflecting Pool.

“I saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating … I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,” Hearn told ABC News. “I was able to reach out and touch the edge of that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.”

“I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool. The condition of that part and all other parts of the Reflecting Pool were in the same condition after I walked away as they were before I walked up to it.”

With a background in materials science, David Hearn grew curious about the pool’s condition and wanted to see it for himself. That’s when he put his hand inside the water and touched a piece of blue coating on the bottom. At that moment, a National Park employee approached him and told him to stop.

Hearn reportedly complied, began walking back to his bike when Park Police arrested him. The arrest has since gone viral, with President Trump even tweeting about the incident. Not only that, a video of Hearn’s arrest has since been posted on social media.

“I had no idea I was about to be arrested,” Hearn added. “They didn’t say they were charging me, but they did start to handcuff me. They did not ever read me my rights. 

“They did not allow me any phone calls for the ensuing five hours, and they did not detail the charges that were going to be leveled against me.”

A retired slalom canoeist, David Hearn participated in three Olympics (1992, 1996 and 2000), although he failed to medal. He did, however, win multiple medals at C1 World Championships, including two individual golds and six team golds. That was largely thanks to Jon Lugbill’s dominance, with Hearn finishing second to his rival on multiple occasions.

Long before finding himself at the centre of a viral arrest, Hearn was known for representing the United States on some of sport’s biggest stages. In fact, one of the proudest moments of his career came when he was entrusted with a role few Olympians ever get to experience.

David Hearn reflects on winning 1995 world title

Aside from competing at three Olympics, arguably one of David Hearn’s biggest moments would have been winning the 1995 World Championships gold. The then 36-year-old stepped into the competition as one of the oldest competitors but still managed to walk away with gold. That was despite all the odds being against him, reclaiming his world title once again.

In a now-infamous moment in slalom canoe racing, his teammates lifted Hearn into the air, marking one of the biggest moments of his career.

“Being elevated into the air, onto my teammate’s shoulders while in my boat and carried back up the course upon winning (the 1995 World Championships) is one of the great memories of my racing career,” Hearn wrote on his website.

However, an even bigger one came less than a year later. That was when Hearn claims that he was picked as one of the 23 canoe/kayak torch bearers for the Olympic torch. Ahead of the 1996 Atlanta games, the torch was making it’s way through the United States. And according to Hearn’s website, he carried the torch into Washington DC before handing it off.

“It was an incredible honor to be a torch bearer for the Olympics in my own state,” Hearn explained.

While Hearn maintains that he merely touched a section of material that was already detached, authorities contend the incident amounted to damage of government property. With limited details about the evidence publicly available, the case will now move to D.C. Superior Court, where the former Olympian is due to appear on July 9.