Retired Police Officer Who Was Jailed for Charlie Kirk Meme Settles Lawsuit for $835,000: ‘Vindicated’

Larry Bushart, a retired Tennessee law enforcement officer, will receive more than $800,000 in a settlement agreement after being jailed for sharing a meme of Charlie Kirk following his death in September 2025, CNN reported on Wednesday, May 20.

Bushart sued Perry County, Tennessee, for “unlawful incarceration” after he was held behind bars for 37 days for sharing a meme of President Donald Trump saying “we have to get over it” in response to a 2024 shooting at Perry High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

“This seems relevant today,” read the post, which Bushart shared 10 days after Kirk was shot to death during an appearance at Utah Valley University. 

According to court records, Bushart was accused of “threatening mass violence at a school,” CNN reported. He was held on $2 million bond.

The charge was later dropped, and he was released after more than a month behind bars. Bushart filed a lawsuit against Perry County, Nick Weems, the county sheriff, and Jason Morrow, a county investigator, alleging that his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated.

Under the settlement agreement, Bushart agreed to drop the case, though the county does not admit to any wrongdoing.

“As Sheriff, there is no responsibility I take more seriously than protecting the children in our community, who are some of the most vulnerable among us,” Weems and Morrow said in a joint statement, per CNN.

The county’s insurer will pay Bushart $835,000.

“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.”