WATCH: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announces felony charge related to Reflecting Pool

A former Olympic canoe racer faces a felony charge for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., a site President Donald Trump has decried as vandalism.

David Hearn was indicted on a single count of property destruction. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated Hearn ripped up recently installed sealant in what she described as a "deliberate act" causing over $1,000 in damage. Pirro accused him of "forcefully and violently" pulling up the pool's liner and acting belligerently toward an employee.

Pirro noted that authorities have made about six other misdemeanor arrests related to the pool. Hearn, however, told The Associated Press that he only reached into the pool to examine the coating on June 19. He stated he briefly touched a detached piece of sealant and then let go after a park worker intervened.

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, was detained for five hours by National Guard troops and Park Police before his release. The indictment comes as the $14 million rehabilitation project for the Reflecting Pool faces scrutiny and criticism.

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This is a case with tremendous evidence.