Larry Bushart Settlement – How a Retired Cop Won $835,000 After Being Jailed for a Facebook Meme

Four police officers arrived at Larry Bushart’s rural Tennessee home while he was seated. No one had been robbed by him. He hadn’t personally threatened anyone. He posted a meme on Facebook that included a screenshot of Donald Trump’s remarks after an Iowa school shooting in 2024, along with the caption, “seems relevant today.” Bushart was handcuffed within a day of posting it. In a matter of days, he was imprisoned on a $2 million bond that he was unable to pay. That jail cell would hold him for 37 days.

A federal lawsuit alleging unlawful incarceration was settled last week when Perry County, Tennessee, agreed to pay Bushart $835,000. Only a few weeks before the case was scheduled to go before a federal jury in Memphis, the settlement was announced on May 20. With the help of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, filed the lawsuit, claiming that his constitutional rights had been violated in a way that was so blatant and preventable that only deliberate disregard could account for it.

It’s not just the arrest that makes this story unsettling. It’s the line of reasoning that brought it about. At the time, Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems admitted that the majority of Bushart’s posts qualified as free speech. Additionally, he admitted that he was aware that the meme was about a school shooting in Iowa rather than Tennessee. Nevertheless, an arrest warrant was obtained. In any case, a $2 million bond was established. Despite having no prior record, a retired police officer was imprisoned for five weeks. It’s the kind of sequence that leaves you wondering exactly what the participants believed they were doing.

Here, the background is important. In the tense, emotional days after Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, was assassinated, Bushart shared the meme. In communities that respected Kirk, grief was real. A candlelight vigil was held in Perry County. Emotions were running high, and it seems that local officials made poor decisions in that heat and continued to do so long after better judgment should have won out.

During those 37 days, Bushart lost his post-retirement job. His wedding anniversary was missed. No lawsuit settlement, no matter how large, can truly restore the moment he lost when his granddaughter was born. That detail is especially difficult to comprehend. For a Facebook post, the bond was set at $2 million. He just couldn’t afford it. He took a seat.

Following the settlement, he made a measured, almost cautious statement. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy,” he stated. Not exactly a man enjoying a lap of victory. More like someone who is still a little taken aback that any of it took place at all.

Such cases seldom occur in isolation. Courts around the nation are still debating where to draw the line between social media expression and actual threat, which can be quite challenging in certain situations. However, it doesn’t seem like this case lived close to that boundary. Referencing a public figure’s own remarks, the meme made a political statement. According to the sheriff’s own words, he was aware of this.

Public funds will provide the $835,000. In a way, Perry County citizens will be responsible for the choices made by their sheriff. Sitting with that is worthwhile. On paper, the settlement upholds Bushart’s rights. It’s still unclear if this will affect how local authorities use their authority the next time a community is in mourning and someone says something offensive.