Spending 37 days in a jail cell over a Facebook meme. That’s what happened to retired police officer Larry Bushart after he shared posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the days following Kirk’s death in September 2025.
Bushart’s crime? Refusing to take down memes that made light of Kirk’s assassination. One post featured President Donald Trump saying“We have to get over it”in reference to a January 2024 school shooting at an Iowa high school, captioned“This seems relevant today.”Another criticized Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. The Perry County Sheriff’s office charged Bushart with a felony, claiming his posts constituted threats. His bail was set at $2 million.
Fast forward to May 2026, and the charge was dropped months ago—but the damage was done. Bushart missed his wedding anniversary, the birth of his granddaughter, and his post-retirement job while sitting in jail awaiting trial. On Wednesday, May 20, his lawyer confirmed a $835,000 settlement from the Perry County Sheriff’s office, vindicating what Bushart himself put plainly:“I threatened no one.”
This case hinges on a question that’s become increasingly urgent in America’s culture wars: Where’s the line between free speech and criminal conduct? The memes Bushart shared were crude, sure—he joked to the New York Times in February that he probably needed“a new hobby”—but they weren’t calls to violence. They were political commentary, however blunt. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represented Bushart, summed it up sharply:“No one should be hauled off to jail in the dark of night over a harmless meme just because the authorities disagree with its message.”
The settlement won’t give Bushart back those 37 days, the family moments he missed, or the job he lost. But it does send a message: when law enforcement imprisons someone for expressing a political opinion online, there’s a price to pay. In a democracy supposedly built on free speech, that’s a lesson worth $835,000.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
