Man sues cops who jailed him for 37 days for trolling a Charlie Kirk vigil
6 hours ago
- #Police Misconduct
- #First Amendment
- #Free Speech
- Larry Bushart, a former cop, was jailed for 37 days for reposting a Trump meme and has now sued the officers involved.
- Bushart lost his post-retirement job after being jailed for trolling a Charlie Kirk vigil post on Facebook, where he posted memes criticizing the attention given to Kirk's death compared to other gun violence victims.
- One meme featured Trump with a quote saying 'We have to get over it' about a 2024 school shooting, which Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged referencing a prior school shooting.
- Weems claimed Bushart's post incited 'mass hysteria' among parents, leading to his arrest and a $2 million bond to keep him jailed, though no evidence of public concern was found.
- Bushart's lawsuit alleges that no one interpreted his meme as a threat, and no records show citizens or the school district flagging it as violating laws.
- Weems allegedly took personal offense to Bushart's memes, as he was promoting the Kirk vigil Bushart criticized, and used his power to punish Bushart for his views.
- Weems and investigator Jason Morrow allegedly omitted key details from the arrest affidavit, including that the meme referenced a past school shooting, to manufacture probable cause.
- Including the detail might have prevented Bushart's arrest, as it would have shown the arrest was for protected speech under the First Amendment.