A retired police officer in Tennessee has been awarded $835,000 (£670,000) in a settlement after being jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Larry Bushart, 61, was arrested in September after he refused to remove memes joking about Kirk's killing. The post that prompted his arrest featured Donald Trump and the words 'We have to get over it', referring to a school shooting in Perry, Iowa. Authorities later dropped the felony charge in October.
During his time in jail, Bushart lost his post-retirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to a federal lawsuit filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.
'I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,' Bushart said in a statement. 'The people's freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.'
Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems said most of Bushart's posts were lawful free speech, but residents feared the school shooting post threatened a local school. Bushart's bail was set at $2m before he was released as the case drew national attention.
Cary Davis, an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which helped represent Bushart, said: 'Our hope is that Larry's settlement sends a message to law enforcement across the country: respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.'
