Tennessee officials have agreed to a $835,000 financial settlement to resolve a federal lawsuit filed by a 61-year-old retired police officer who was wrongfully jailed for over a month because of a Facebook post. The case sparked significant national attention as a rare instance where an online comment resulted in criminal prosecution rather than just workplace discipline.
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Larry Bushart was arrested following the targeted political assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Bushart had shared a meme on Facebook featuring a photo of Donald Trump alongside the quote, “We have to get over it”—words Trump originally spoke following a 2024 school shooting in Iowa. Because Bushart’s local community in Perry County, Tennessee, was also home to a school named Perry County High School, local residents grew alarmed, fearing the post was an active threat against the local school.
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Even though Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged that the post was a commentary on national political events rather than a localized threat, authorities alleged that Bushart intentionally sought to incite public panic. Bushart was subsequently held in jail for 37 days on a felony charge with a $2 million bail before prosecutors ultimately dropped the case. During his time behind bars, Bushart missed his wedding anniversary, the birth of his granddaughter, and lost his post-retirement job.
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Represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Bushart celebrated the settlement as a vital victory for free expression. First Amendment advocates expressed hope that the high-dollar outcome will serve as a stark warning to law enforcement agencies across the country to uphold constitutional protections, even during times of intense political friction.
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