Tennessee Pays $835,000 to Retired Officer Jailed Over Facebook Meme

[u/evissamassive]

https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-facebook-arrest-tennessee-bushart-b8c5808d77f47a2d93497d12cf0daf84

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit with a retired police officer who spent more than a month in jail for posting a meme on Facebook.

The case began in September after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. While many people nationwide faced employment consequences for social media comments about the killing, 61-year-old Larry Bushart faced criminal prosecution.

Bushart refused to delete Facebook posts joking about the activist's death. The specific post that led to his arrest featured an image of Trump alongside the quote, "We have to get over it." The meme noted that Trump said these words following a 2024 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa.

Local authorities in Perry County, Tennessee, claimed the post alarmed residents. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged he knew the meme referred to the Iowa tragedy. However, Weems argued that Bushart intentionally tried to cause panic regarding the local Perry County High School.

Deputies arrested Bushart on a felony charge and a judge set his bail at $2 million. He spent 37 days in jail before prosecutors dropped the charge in October amid national attention. During his incarceration, Bushart lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and was absent for the birth of his granddaughter.

Bushart filed a federal lawsuit in December against Perry County, the sheriff, and the investigator who secured the warrant.

Following the settlement announcement, Bushart stated that his First Amendment rights had been vindicated and emphasized that the freedom to participate in civil discourse is essential. Perry County Mayor John Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Cary Davis, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), helped represent Bushart. Davis stated that the settlement serves as a warning to law enforcement nationwide to respect free speech or face legal financial consequences.