A retired police officer in Tennessee has been released after weeks in jail and charges related to his sharing of a Facebook meme about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk were dropped. The social media meme posted in a group thread by Larry Bushart, 61, displayed a quote from President Donald Trump saying “we have to get over it” following a deadly 2024 school shooting in Perry, Iowa, with Bushart’s added remark “This seems relevant today,” as reported by Reason.
‘Happy to be going home’
Law enforcement in Perry County, Tennessee, jailed Bushart on charges of threatening mass violence on school property, which he denied.
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The retired police officer told local radio station WOPC that he was “very happy to be going home.”
“I didn’t seek to become a media sensation, but here we are,” he added.
Lawsuit to be filed
Now Bushart and his attorney, Joshua Phillips, revealed to The Washington Post they intend to sue over what they believe to be a wrongful detainment and a violation of Bushart’s First Amendment rights by Perry County authorities.
Bushart’s arrest and stay in jail of more than five weeks are the latest instance of Americans facing punishment for their online posts about Kirk and the Trump administration’s targeting liberals opposed to Kirk’s ideology.
Dozens of other Americans reportedly faced discipline at their jobs, including suspensions and firings over posts about the late Kirk. Many of those posts were considered by some conservatives to be threatening or celebratory of Kirk’s death.
But Bushart’s case appears to be one of the most extreme examples of punishment for a social media post.
Free speech advocates defend Bushart
Free speech advocates came to Bushart’s defense, arguing his arrest is a clear violation of his First Amendment rights and a sign of a political retribution campaign launched by Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, following Kirk’s murder.
Sheriff’s claims against Bushart
The Perry County sheriff who called for and defended the arrest of Bushart, Nick Weems, previously told NewsChannel 5 that Bushart’s post was perceived as a threat toward Perry County High School in Tennessee, despite the town Bushart referenced in the meme being some 700 miles away in a separate state — a fact Weems said law enforcement was aware of.
“Yes, we knew, but the public did not know,” Weems said when asked if he knew about the school referenced by Bushart being in Iowa. He instead cited concerns from “multiple people” about potential violence at the Tennessee high school. Weems asked police in nearby Lexington to pay Bushart a visit at his home over the concerns.
Body camera reportedly shows Bushart denied the post was meant as a threat and invited the police in to take a look at it for themselves. Bushart also told police that he did not intend to remove the post.
“We sent [the] Lexington Police Department out to speak to him, and he refused to do that,” Weems told NewsChannel5. “I mean, what kind of person does that? What kind of person just says they don’t care, I’m not taking it down.”
However, Lexington Police told The Post they were never instructed by Weems to tell Bushart to take down the post, and Bushart maintained his innocence.
Bushart’s arrest and subsequent controversy
Bushart was arrested by Perry County authorities on Sept. 22 and held until Oct. 29 after charges were dropped. He faced a $2 million bond, according to jail records, which his lawyer argued was “excessive.”
Court records show that Bushart’s next hearing was set for Dec. 4, and he could have stayed in jail another month had the charges remained.
Weems shared social media posts sympathetic to Kirk and vowed to sniff out “evil” in his midst prior to Bushart’s detainment, per The Intercept.
Phillips told The Post that he believes his client was targeted for sharing unpopular political views and pledged to pursue “all avenues of litigation available to us.”
“As far as freedom of speech goes… it’s the speech you don’t agree with that needs protecting,” Phillips said.
Straight Arrow News reached out to Phillips and Bushart for comment, but as of the publishing of this report has not received a response.
According to local media, Bushart lost his job as a medical transport as a result of the time he spent in jail.
