Summary
A Tennessee man, Larry Bushart, who was jailed for over a month because of a Facebook post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has won an $835,000 settlement from local officials. Bushart was charged with a felony after refusing to remove the post but was eventually released and had the charges dropped.
Key Facts
- Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, spent 37 days in jail over a Facebook post related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
- Bushart was arrested for refusing to take down memes that joked about Kirk’s death.
- He faced a $2 million bail before his release.
- The meme that led to his arrest showed President Trump with words referencing a separate school shooting in Iowa.
- Perry County officials said the post caused fear in their community because it mentioned a local school’s name, even though the meme referred to a different school.
- Bushart lost his postretirement job and missed family events while jailed.
- Officials in Tennessee agreed to pay $835,000 to settle Bushart’s federal lawsuit over his arrest.
- The case highlights debates around free speech and how the government responds to online posts.
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