Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By R.J. RICO
Updated 8:01 AM CDT, May 20, 2026
Leer en español

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

While many people across the U.S. lost their jobs over social media comments about Kirk’s death, Larry Bushart’s case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October.

During his time in jail, Bushart lost his postretirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to a federal lawsuit Bushart filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.

“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family.”


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

[UpInArms]

1. Good for him

What they did was a travesty… I guess the MAGAts just don’t understand the constitution and bill of rights

[Walleye]

6. They think that only people who suck up to Trump have any rights at all

[blue-wave]

25. They never did understand and/or cared

that every American has the same rights. They want to be the overlords for the masses. I'm surprised this guy is getting justice in Tennessee of all places.

[Quiet Em]

2. Good. I cannot believe that put him in jail over this

The meme Bushart posted that prompted his arrest read: “This seems relevant today...” and featured President Donald Trump and the words, “We have to get over it.” That quote, the meme explained, was said by Trump in 2024 after a school shooting at Iowa’s Perry High School.

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

[RazorbackExpat]

8. Remember when they put some guy in Montana in jail

over his comment about a "burning Bush", which was a reference to a famous Bible story, when George the Lesser was occupying the White House?

[Quiet Em]

9. I don't remember but

geez

[twodogsbarking]

3. Maybe now he can "get over it".

[Walleye]

4. Well, we can't expect the legislators in Tennessee to know anything about the constitution.

They are still fighting a Civil War against it. World War III shouldn’t scare us as much as Civil War II

[Attilatheblond]

5. So, his 'crime' was posting a meme on FB that held a mirror up to Trump telling us to 'get over' school shootings?

That is Snowflake taken to subversion of First Amendment by local authorities. Glad they have to pay up.

[Blues Heron]

7. Talk about lawfare!

[mwmisses4289]

10. Good.

Now that he has set the example, maybe all the others who were harassed, fired, jailed or otherwise had their first amendment rights trampled over their ck comments will follow suit.

[OGBuzz]

12. And now we have a $1,776,000,000 fund for the victims of Trump's lawfare.

Every federal worker dismissed by Musk's DOUCHE Gang should be making a claim immediately. And when "1776" runs out, Elmo is worth $850,000,000,000.

[Justice matters.]

19. Why go through all the hustles to file claims: They would never get a penny.

They did not commit crimes for the mob boss, and most importantly, they WILL not in the future.

[AllaN01Bear]

11. ""

[Statelawdog]

13. Where was the district attorney?

The district attorney should have interceded in this case within hours not weeks. Their inaction to stop this obvious violation of civil rights borders on being unethical. The shame is that the individual officers are not being held personally responsible for the money damages. Either an insurance company or the taxpayers are on the hook. Not the individuals responsible.

[BaronChocula]

18. Conservatives and maga-types tend to have a blindspot

when it comes to accountability among their own. It's part of why red states come in dead last on so many things.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

28. The judge is the real culprit here.

[fujiyamasan]

14. I hope Perry county goes bankrupt over this

[The Grand Illuminist]

24. If gone to trial, then yes.

It was an open and shut case for the plaintiff.

[Pompoy]

15. They pretended that he was threatening a school shooting.

They made stuff up.

[ColoringFool]

16. They would have had to.

[58Sunliner]

17. I'm grateful he was vindicated. Scary that he was charged and held.

[erronis]

20. It ain't the "Tennessee officials" who will pay the $835,000". It is the Tennessee taxpayers.

And only the taxpayers who actually pay taxes. Not the rich ones who can get out of them.

[dalton99a]

22. +1

[orleans]

21. if he lives in perry county i hope he moves the fuck out

so he doesn't end up paying taxes that will be paying his settlement.

and i hope all those kirk obsessives / magats are thrilled as shit and think it's totally worth it to be paying that settlement out of their own pockets. ha. ha.

[The Grand Illuminist]

27. He has to pay taxes on settlement.

If he stayed the course, he would have had a lot more, plus taxes taken out, legal documentation of liability and accountability.

[The Grand Illuminist]

23. He got bought out.

Settlement was done to protect accountability.

[Grins]

26. It should have been more than $850,000. NM