Ex Cop Jailed Over Charlie Kirk Meme Wins $835,000 Free Speech Settlement

A Tennessee man who spent more than a month in jail over a Facebook meme posted after the assassination of Charlie Kirk has won an $835,000 settlement in a case now being hailed as a major First Amendment victory.

Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, was arrested last year after refusing to remove social media posts mocking reactions to Kirk’s death.

He spent 37 days behind bars before prosecutors dropped the felony charge entirely.

Now Tennessee officials have agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle Bushart’s federal lawsuit against Perry County, its sheriff and investigators involved in the arrest.

Arrested Over A Meme

The controversy centred on a meme Bushart posted following national outrage over Kirk’s assassination.

The image featured Donald Trump alongside the words:
“We have to get over it.”

The meme referenced comments Trump made after the 2024 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa.

Authorities in Perry County argued residents feared Bushart was threatening a local school with a similar name, despite acknowledging the meme referred to the Iowa incident.

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems admitted at the time that most of Bushart’s posts were protected free speech but claimed investigators believed he intended to create “fear” and “hysteria.”

Bushart was jailed on an extraordinarily high $2 million bond before the case collapsed under growing national scrutiny.

‘A Test Of Free Speech’

During his time behind bars, Bushart lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary and was absent for the birth of his granddaughter.

“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said after the settlement was announced.

“The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.”

The case drew major attention from free speech advocates who warned authorities were criminalising offensive political speech rather than prosecuting genuine threats.

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression helped represent Bushart in the lawsuit.

Attorney Cary Davis said the case demonstrated why constitutional protections matter most during periods of heightened political tension.

“It’s in times of turmoil and heightened tensions that our national commitment to free speech is tested the most,” Davis said.

“Our hope is that Larry’s settlement sends a message to law enforcement across the country: Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.”

Social Media, Politics And The Limits Of Speech

The case emerged during an intensely polarised national climate following Kirk’s assassination, when numerous Americans reportedly faced firings, suspensions or public backlash over controversial online comments.

But Bushart’s case stood out because it crossed into criminal prosecution.

Legal experts say the settlement could have broader implications for how police and prosecutors handle inflammatory online speech going forward.

Under longstanding US constitutional law, offensive or disturbing speech is generally protected unless it crosses into direct threats or criminal incitement.

Critics of the arrest argued authorities blurred that line entirely.

The payout now leaves Perry County facing a costly reminder of how quickly politically charged speech cases can collide with America’s powerful free speech protections — especially in the volatile age of social media outrage.

SOURCE

What did the President say when a man who actually added some value to the country---as a Princeton grad who volunteered to serve in Vietnam, and who had to wait a year to be accepted due to a knee injury that first prevented him from passing the physical, who earned a Bronze Star with a "V" and a Purple Heart, who subsequently gave up a lucrative legal career to serve as Director of the FBI, and who was named to investigate matters related to alleged cooperation by the Trump Campaign and Russia?

"I'm glad he's dead".

On the other hand, Kirk was a nobody...just an "Influencer". He never served, and he held views that many people consider both racist and sexist. In the cancel culture of the MAGAs, anyone who said anything negative upon Kirk's death was hounded, fired, or as the man at the center of this post, jailed.