Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Tennessee state officials have agreed to pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Larry Bushart.
The settlement concludes a case that garnered public attention after Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, was detained for more than a month over a Facebook post referencing the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
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The lawsuit was filed by Bushart against Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the warrant for his arrest.
Bushart expressed joy at the verdict, asserting that his First Amendment right to free speech had been vindicated.
“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 Origins of the Arrest and the Meme Post Controversy
Larry Bushart's arrest occurred in September of the previous year, after he refused to remove a Facebook meme that was perceived as joking about the murder of Charlie Kirk.
The post sparked a wave of grief among conservatives, including in Perry County, Tennessee, where Bushart lives.
Bushart's meme featured an image of Donald Trump with the quote "We have to get over it."
This quote was described in the meme as Trump's remarks in 2024 following the school shooting in Perry, Iowa.
Bushart added the caption, "This seems relevant today..." to his post.
While Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged that most of Bushart's "hate memes" were legitimate forms of free speech, local residents expressed concern that the post threatened Perry County High School.
This concern arose even though Weems knew the meme referred to an incident in Iowa, not Tennessee.
Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and deliberately sought to incite hysteria in the community.
Bushart ultimately spent 37 days behind bars before the felony charges against him were dropped in October of the previous year, with his initial bail set at $2 million.
The Impact of Larry Bushart's Incarceration and Legal Battles
During his incarceration, Larry Bushart faced significant personal losses. He lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and was unable to witness the birth of his grandson.
Seeing the impact, Bushart filed a federal lawsuit in December of the previous year.
The lawsuit targeted Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigators involved in his arrest, alleging violations of his constitutional rights.
This contrasts with numerous other cases across the US where individuals have lost jobs or faced other consequences for social media comments related to Charlie Kirk's death, but not incarceration.
Charlie Kirk Case and Free Speech
Larry Bushart's case is inextricably linked to the broader context of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which has been consistently referenced in various sources.
This event has sparked a wide range of reactions and consequences across the United States.
For example, on May 9, 2026, a Utah judge denied a request to block media access to the Charlie Kirk murder case.
Additionally, on October 9, 2025, a former teacher in Rutherford County filed a lawsuit against her school district, claiming she was wrongfully fired for her social media posts following the murder of Charlie Kirk.