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

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:01]A retired Tennessee police officer who spent more than a month in jail over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk's assassination. He's now set to receive a major payout, $835,000 settlement. 61-year-old Larry Bashard here sued Perry County, Tennessee, its sheriff and an investigator after he was arrested last September. The case centered on memes he posted after Kirk's death, including one that referenced a past President Trump quote after a school shooting in Iowa. Now, authorities said people were alarmed and feared the post could be a threat to a local school with the same name, but the felony charge was later dropped. He then spent 37 days in jail, lost his postretirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, even the birth of his grandchild. In a statement tonight, he says, quote, "The people's freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I'm looking forward to moving on and spending time with my