O’Hara and city officials purportedly reached “a settlement agreement in principle” in February; the case against the individual M.P.D. officers was granted a partial stay while terms were still being finalized.
The District of Columbia has announced that it will settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a resident who was arrested after playing “Imperial March” from Star Wars while protesting the deployment of National Guard forces in the capital.
According to The New York Times, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a notice of claim against the D.C. government last year. Earlier this week, the ACLU said that its client, Sam O’Hara, had agreed to accept a payment in exchange for dropping his claim against the district.
Scott Michelman, the legal director of the ACLU’s local chapter, said that the settlement “was a significant amount Mr. O’Hara is pleased with but that we are not disclosing to respect Mr. O’Hara’s privacy.”
“Our right to free speech grants us the freedom to criticize the government,” he said. “Government officials don’t have to like it, but they can’t punish someone for their speech.”
The New York Times notes that O’Hara, 35, played “Imperial March” as several members of the National Guard walked through a Washington neighborhood. Sgt. Devon Beck of the Ohio National Guard then threatened to call local law enforcement to “handle” O’Hara if he continued playing the song.
Beck followed through on the threat, and O’Hara was later detained and handcuffed by officers from the Metropolitan Police Department.
In a statement, the M.P.D. said that the incident was referred to its “Internal Affairs Bureau,” but it is unclear whether any of the District officers named in the suit—including defendants Tiffany Brown, Edward Reyes-Benigno, and Alfonso Lopez Martinez—were ever actually disciplined for their role in the arrest. The department also noted that, under the terms of the agreement, it will not be required to make any changes to its training or hiring policies.
“M.P.D. recognize the importance of upholding First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and is dedicated to facilitating lawful demonstrations while maintaining public safety and order,” the department said in a statement.
O’Hara and city officials purportedly reached “a settlement agreement in principle” in February; the case against the individual M.P.D. officers was granted a partial stay while terms were still being finalized.
The New York Times notes that O’Hara is continuing to litigate a related claim against Sgt. Beck of the Ohio National Guard, who is being represented by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sources
D.C. Settles Suit With Protester Arrested After Playing ‘Star Wars’ Song Near Deployed Troops
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