Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement

Larry Bushart was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. While many people across the US lost their jobs over social media comments about Kirk’s death, Larry Bushart’s case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October. Continue reading...

Associated Press · Wed, May 20, 2026, 1:26 PM
US news | The Guardian

Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement

Larry Bushart was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

While many people across the US lost their jobs over social media comments about Kirk’s death, Larry Bushart’s case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October.

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