U.S. Park Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a person seen in surveillance footage as investigators look into damage at the Reflecting Pool and an alleged destruction of government property incident in Washington, D.C.
Authorities said the incident occurred around 3:36 p.m. Friday at the Reflecting Pool, located on the Lincoln Memorial grounds in the nation’s capital.
In video made public by police, an individual appears to kneel beside the Reflecting Pool and extend an arm into the water.
The person in the footage appears to have dark hair and is seen wearing a gray shirt and black shorts, while also carrying a light-colored handbag.
Police said the investigation comes after President Trump’s effort to resurface the Reflecting Pool, a project that led to peeling paint and algae growth that changed the water’s intended “American Flag Blue” look to a murky green color.
EXCLUSIVE: Disclosure Day Decoded: The Most Confusing Moments Explained Clearly
Trump and other officials have said that several people were arrested and others were cited in connection with alleged damage to the Reflecting Pool.
“They went down with probably a box cutter or a very sharp razor of some kind or a knife, and they cut, and then they started ripping it up,” Trump said Wednesday in the Oval Office. “You know why? Because they’re sick people.”
Trump also said he believed those responsible “should go to jail for a long time,” and suggested the damage was motivated by what he described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Trump said some water will be released from the pool so that repairs can be made. The president had previously speculated that fertilizer was poured into the pool and caused the algae.
“Around the Reflecting Pool, we have a huge field of grass,” he said. “They poured acid on the grass, the same people, I guess.”
“It killed — you know, acid kills grass quickly — so that’s being fixed,” Trump continued.
On Monday, he said chemicals were “illegally placed in the water.”
