'I was publicly humiliated': Woman arrested at Reflecting Pool speaks out after charges dropped

WASHINGTON, DC: Dr Sophie Dennison-Gibby, a British-American veterinarian who was arrested after picking up what she believed was trash from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, has spoken publicly for the first time after federal prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charge against her.

Speaking to the Washington Post, Dennison-Gibby described the experience as “publicly humiliated” and “heartbreaking,” saying she never imagined that what she believed was an act of cleaning up litter would end with her being handcuffed, fingerprinted, and booked into a police facility.

Dr Sophie Dennison-Gibby recounts Reflecting Pool arrest

As reported by the Washington Post, Dennison-Gibby, who was born in Portsmouth, England, and became a naturalized US citizen in 2014, was visiting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 20 when she noticed what appeared to be a piece of trash floating in the water.

She said she regularly picks up litter and instinctively reached down to remove it. The object, she later learned, was a loose piece of the Reflecting Pool's liner that had already peeled away.

Dennison-Gibby recalled that shortly afterward, a US marshal approached her and said, “Well, I wish you hadn't done that. Now I'm going to arrest you.”

She said officers handcuffed her and escorted her away before taking her to a US Park Police facility, where she was processed, fingerprinted, and later released.

“That's when things got really scary,” she told the newspaper, explaining that she did not know where she was being taken or how long she would remain in custody.

Justice Department drops Reflecting Pool case

Last week, the Department of Justice dismissed misdemeanor charges against Dennison-Gibby, Justin Carreno, and Cameron Thiers, along with a felony charge against Olympic canoeist David Hearn.

According to court filings, prosecutors acknowledged that loose pieces of liner floating in the Reflecting Pool were the result of poor workmanship rather than intentional sabotage.

Hearn also told WaPo that he had picked up an already detached piece of liner after noticing it while riding his bicycle near the memorial. The charges were dropped after the government concluded the damaged material had come loose on its own.

Trump slams Reflecting Pool charges dismissal

The dismissal drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who publicly criticized US Attorney Jeanine Pirro after the charges were dropped.

Asked about Trump's comments describing those involved as vandals, Dennison-Gibby said hearing those remarks left her feeling sick.

“To be called out by the most powerful person in the world, the president of the United States, and called a sick, violent vandal when all I had done was pick up a piece of trash was awful,” she told The Washington Post.

“The whole experience has just been so heartbreaking. I chose this country. I've been naturalized here for 12 years. Nothing about this feels good.” She added that although she felt humiliated by the arrest, her biggest concern was the effect it could have on her 10-year-old daughter.

Attorney says arrest still affects veterinarian

Dennison-Gibby's attorney, Jamison Koehler, also questioned how the case was handled.

Speaking to NPR, Koehler said officers found ordinary trash in his client's possession along with the piece of liner.

“Of course, the government doesn't mention the fact that in addition to finding the pieces of the Reflecting Pool in her purse, they also found trash,” he said. “Because the trash didn't fit with their narrative.”

Koehler also claimed prosecutors declined to review witness statements and video that he attempted to provide. Although the criminal case has now been dismissed, he said the experience continues to weigh heavily on his client.

“She's been fingerprinted, she's been photographed,” Koehler said. “She has a mug shot. She's in the FBI database… She's horrified and petrified.”