Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post settles lawsuit for more than $800K

A Tennessee man who was jailed for more than month following his arrest over a Facebook post related to the killing of Charlie Kirk has settled a "unlawful incarceration" lawsuit for $835,000 (£621,000).

Larry Bushart, a retired police officer, spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charges against him, during which he lost his post-retirement job and missed the birth of his grandchild.

He was arrested last September by the Perry County Sheriff's Office for sharing a meme in a thread about a vigil honouring the conservative activist.

"I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated," Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement on Wednesday.

"The people's freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy," his statement went on to say. "I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family."

The BBC has contacted the county for comment.

Bushart is among dozens of Americans who faced some form of sanction - from online criticism to losing their jobs - for social media comments about the shooting death of Kirk.

Bushart is the only person known to have gone to jail for a post.

He posted the meme 10 days after Kirk was shot and killed at an outdoor speaking event in Utah.

It featured a comment - "Seems relevant today" - alongside a partial quote from President Donald Trump: "We have to get over it"

The quote was part of a message of condolence the president made in 2024, shortly after a school shooting in Perry, Iowa.

The day after Bushart shared the meme, officers came to his home and arrested him for "threatening mass violence at a school".

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems told US media at the time that residents were alarmed by the post as there was an area school that went by the same name as the Iowa school.

"Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community," Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean, a local news outlet, last year.

Bushart remained behind bars because he was unable to pay a $2m (£1.5m) bond.

His lawsuit was brought against Perry County, Tennessee, Weems and Jason Morrow, a county investigator involved in the case.

The suit alleged the parties violated Bushart's First Amendment right and Fourth Amendment right against "wrongful arrest, wrongful prosecution, and wrongful incarceration".

A trial was scheduled in Memphis in July.