US authorities said that a contractor caused damage to the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and dropped the case against a former Olympian. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Reuters.
After the investigation concluded, the accused was found innocent and all charges were dropped. The contractor's name has not been disclosed, but it was confirmed that he caused damage to the pool during work.
The case against the former Olympian was dropped, but his name has also not been released. US authorities declined to comment officially on the matter.
According to Reuters, the incident caused a stir among tourists and locals in Washington. The Reflecting Pool is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US capital, so its damage drew public attention.
Restoration work is currently underway. The contracting company has agreed to repair the damage at its own expense. This incident may spark new discussions about the protection of state facilities in the US.