- Retired officer arrested for posting political memes, jailed for over a month on exaggerated charges
- Lawsuit argued officials violated his free speech rights by criminalizing controversial but non-threatening speech
- Case highlights broader crackdown on online comments about conservative activist’s assassination
Going to jail for mocking a white supremacist podcaster is crazy work.
A former Tennessee police officer who spent more than a month in jail over Facebook memes posted after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has reached an $835,000 settlement with local officials, according to CNN. The case has become a major flashpoint in the debate over free speech, online speech, and egregious law enforcement overreach.
Larry Bushart is a 61-year-old retired police officer from Perry County. He was arrested in September 2025 after posting memes related to Kirk’s killing on Facebook. One meme that drew the attention of authorities featured a photo of President Donald Trump alongside the phrase “We have to get over it,” referencing Trump’s response to the 2024 Perry High School shooting in Iowa. How that amounts to a “threat” makes no sense whatsoever.
Local officials inexplicably claimed residents interpreted the meme as a potential threat against Perry County High School in Tennessee because of the similar name. Bushart insisted the post was political commentary and protected speech under the First Amendment. Despite no explicit threat being made, he was charged with threatening mass violence at a school, jailed for 37 days, and given an exorbitant $2 million bond.
Bushart later filed a federal lawsuit against Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems, and the investigator who secured the arrest warrant. The lawsuit argued that officials violated his constitutional rights by criminalizing speech that, while controversial, did not amount to a genuine threat. During his incarceration, Bushart reportedly lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and missed the birth of his granddaughter.
According to News Channel 5, Weems feably attempted to make sense of the nonsensical:
“This has everything to do with a guy coming onto a Perry County page posting this picture leading people in our community to believe that there was a hypothetical Perry County High School shooting that caused fear in our community – and we done something about it,”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which represented Bushart, blasted the arrest as a dangerous example of government overreach during a politically charged moment. Attorney Adam Steinbaugh said no one should be “hauled off to jail in the dark of night over a harmless meme.”
“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement Wednesday. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.”
The case also highlighted the broader fallout following Kirk’s assassination, as numerous Americans reportedly lost jobs or faced backlash for online comments about his death. However, Bushart’s prosecution stood out because it escalated beyond social consequences into criminal charges and jail time.
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