Larry Bushart wins $835,000 settlement after 37-day jail over Charlie Kirk post
Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired Tennessee police officer, will receive $835,000 from Perry County after settling a lawsuit over a Facebook meme that referenced the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Bushart spent 37 days jailed on a felony charge before prosecutors dropped the case, during which he lost his postretirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter. Bushart said the settlement vindicated his First Amendment rights and that he looks forward to spending time with his family. The $835,000 payout highlights legal limits on criminally prosecuting online speech and pressures local law enforcement to reassess how it handles similar posts.
UPDATE — PERRY COUNTY: “Larry Bushart, the (liberal) retired Tennessee law enforcement officer held in jail for more than a month over a Facebook post of a Trump meme related to the assassination of Charlie Kirk settled a ‘unlawful incarceration’ lawsuit for $835,000…” www.cnn.com/2026/05/20/p...
The South must be brought to heel, AGAIN. It is time.24What about consequences for the criminal Sheriff?
⚡️It’s Got Electrolytes⚡️22Make the person responsible pay not the city. No accountability is why this keeps happening.
PMG11And he can apply for more $ being a victim of ‘Lawfare’. Not that he’ll get it.
Alison6Honestly, I was hoping he'd get more $. Jailed for a month over a Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk...meanwhile ppl who beat up cops on behalf of Trump will be rewarded millions.
Jennifer Bennon4Did that come from the “weaponization of government” fund? 😂
Sabai4I hope he uses that money to take the Repukliscums down in TN.💙
TDub 3Once again taxpayers being forced to foot the bill of these types of targeted political stunts.
manricco.bsky.social3Shouldn't this come from someone's pocket other than the tax payer. Who were the idiots that arrested and kept this guy in jail? Shouldn't they be the ones to pay??????
Selena in TN2Who set that $2M bond? Who's the judge that allowed it? Who's the insurer for Perry County who is paying this settlement? There are plenty of opportunities for further accountability here.
Dr. Nguyen Van Thoc2Kidnapped and held hostage* He was kidnapped and held hostage. Everyone involved should be in jail.
A Tennessee man who was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post he shared after the killing of Charlie Kirk just agreed to a $835,000 settlement with the sheriff's office that detained him. In the posts, Larry Bushart shared memes that accused Turning Point USA of perpetrating hate.
Rob Dalton16Ironically arrested for the very thing Kirk was supposedly a champion of.
Engine 86479Somewhere out there is the stupidest sheriff among the 3081 sheriffs in the United States. Odds are strong that it is not this one. Makes you think.
2014sdg.bsky.social6Good. Free speech can’t be only for a few privileged ones and only for the ones who are allies of this administration.
Catherine3Honest people have rights too.
DGM2how to collect from the real anti-weaponization fund
Rooby..Call is from inside the house2I hear the going rate for the weaponization of the govt is $1 million. He got short changed.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — He spent 37 days in a rural Tennessee county jail for posting a meme about President Donald Trump. Now, Lexington, Tenn., resident Larry Bushart — who was finally freed following a NewsChannel 5 investigation — will collect $835,000. www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...
UncleMark 🦅🇺🇸13Tax payer funded harassment because the local sheriff is a MAGA dumbass.
J. Smith6That’s insufficient compensation. Glad he hit something, but sheesh, the mess imprisonment makes of your head and identity is worth a lot more than that, nevermind whatever indignities he may have suffered.
🇺🇦🇬🇱6The real weaponization by DOJ. The slush fund should be paying for all the citizens arrested,shot to death,detained and deported by this administration.
Basset Blue3The sheriff is a liability to the county. This kind of ignorance is what tarnishes all leos. The taxpayers should be livid and demand his resignation.
Mark Nance3This is coming out of the slush fund, right?
Larry Bushart, retired Tennessee police officer, was jailed for 37 days for posting a meme using Trump’s words verbatim. He was charged with “threatening mass violence at a school.” The case cost Perry County, TN $835,000 in a settlement after the charges were dropped. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
🐸🖕🐸 Heartless Creatures10This is 2.5% of their county's budget, and their property taxes are ginormous.
Basset Blue7Seems the MAGA sheriff is a huge liability to the county and the taxpayers. He should definitely lose his job. Unfortunately, so many of these red states southern sheriffs like to enforce their politics rather than actually enforcing law.
Route60Plus2This scum bucket wants to make J6 rioters who attacked police officers — that he pardoned — eligible for compensation…
Melinda here 4 the defeat of evil 🛑 this shit 💙🤬2I hope he bankrupted the shitty ass little place. Closed the place down
David2They got off cheap. cbwrong.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-...
Larry Bushart spent 37 *days* in jail for posting memes criticizing Trump and Charlie Kirk. His arrest was the crest of a wave of censorship after Kirk was killed. Now a Tennessee county will pay $835,000 to settle his First Amendment lawsuit, filed by FIRE. www.fire.org/news/victory...
Finally some government officials are held accountable.
Skeets Foryou2It should come out of Weems pension
jcar8mm.bsky.social2That’s not even what it was. He quoted Trump saying “get over it” about an old school shooting — likening it to get over the Charlie thing too, MAGA — and he was arrested for bogus public safety reasons because the school had the same name as a local one. Totally bogus and contrived.
"Larry Bushart sued a Tennessee sheriff who claimed he wanted to incite hysteria with a post after Mr. Kirk’s killing and jailed him for 37 days." www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/u...
ziranatx9Unfortunately, the tax payers will pay it. Not the cops.
🇵🇸 Anna, Fan of Wolfwalkers 🍉8For context: When Charlie Kirk's death was announced on facebook, Larry responded by posting a screencap of Trump responding to a school shooting with "We need to get over it." This was (fraudulently) treated as a threat. In reality, a cop was mad at a guy belitting the death of a neo nazi.
failed migrator çunt #FreeŁink5the salary should automatically be docked for transfer
playon.bsky.social4I wish him the best but I've heard that collecting judgments is difficult.
Andy the Mind Goblin3That's over $20,000 per day in jail! (laudatory)
InvestigationCone2This was his post, by the way. 37 days in jail with a $2 MILLION bail. Everyone involved in this should be stripped of office and have to personally pay him that settlement.
"I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated," Larry Bushart said in a statement. "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." https://to.pbs.org/4do7Hw1
Apple Paladin10The whole incident is undeniable proof that Kirk's followers hate free speech and free thought so much - as he did - that they would happily use the power of the state to punish people who speak their mind. All their claims about free speech are deceitful hypocrisy.
𝐌𝐨𝐱𝐲 ♪♫~𒀭.¸🌬️¸.𒀭~♫♪ ɪꜰ ɪ'ᴍ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ'ᴍ ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛɪɴɢ→🕊☯☥3Two of his more popular quotes: Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more. If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.
Retired Tennessee cop Larry Bushart was jailed for 37 days after posting a Trump meme that apparently deeply offended a sheriff in his county.
rureadyyet.bsky.social4One would think Tennessee would get rid of the idiots who are costing them huge amounts of their tax dollars. they should start with the Republicans.
Tom2Settlement against the Sherrie’s office is one thing, but that there is no recourse against the absurd injustice of a $2 million bond is horrifying. Not enough bad things can happen to judges who enable that.
Ryan2Hopefully townsfolk will realize having a would be fascist clown as a sheriff is a bad thing
