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DC Reaches Court Settlement with Man Detained While Protesting Troops' Patrol with Darth Vader Song
Sam O'Hara will drop claims against the district and four officers after an undisclosed settlement over a 15-minute detention, court filings say.
- On Thursday, the District of Columbia reached a settlement with resident Sam O'Hara, who sued after police detained him for playing "The Imperial March" while protesting Ohio National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
- President Donald Trump's federal law-enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., prompted O'Hara's protest, where he used the John Williams-composed theme to trail troops on Sept. 11, 2025.
- Metropolitan Police Department officers handcuffed O'Hara for 15 to 20 minutes without charges, prompting his lawsuit alleging violations of his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.
- While the district's settlement terms remain undisclosed, O'Hara's claims against Ohio National Guard Sgt. Devon Beck continue, as Beck's lawyers argue he was performing his assigned duty.
- O'Hara stated the government's efforts to silence him "backfired and brought more attention to the unjust deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C." in an ACLU news release.
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44 Articles
44 Articles
Man detained after playing Imperial March to troops in D.C. wins "substantial" settlement
When troops from Ohio's National Guard were deployed to Washington D.C. to menace locals as part of President Trump's crime "emergency" there, Sam O'Hara followed them around playing The Imperial…
·United States
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DC police settle lawsuit man detained while protesting National Guard with Star Wars song
The Metropolitan Police Department has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a man who said his First Amendment rights were violated when he was handcuffed while protesting National Guard troops in the District.
·Washington, United States
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The Force is with him: D.C. settles with man who protested National Guard using Darth Vader’s theme song
The District of Columbia has settled a lawsuit by a protester who said he was detained and handcuffed for following National Guard troops around the city while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from “Star Wars.”
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources44
Leaning Left15Leaning Right3Center21Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
54% Center
L 38%
C 54%
Factuality
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