Retired cop jailed for 37 days over Charlie Kirk meme sues, saying his First Amendment rights were violated
CNN2 days
Ex-Cop Jailed Over Charlie Kirk Facebook Meme Sues Sheriff
Did the sheriff blatantly violate free speech rights, or was this a reasonable mistake amid rising political violence?
Above: An image of a man typing on a laptop displaying the Facebook logo in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 17, 2025. Image credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The Perry police treated Bushart in a manner that should be reserved for thieves and murderers, and it was only after widespread public backlash that a prosecutor declined to prosecute and he was freed. With zero justification, Sheriff Weems criminalized Bushart's free speech, so he is rightly being sued for violating basic constitutional rights.
Pro-establishment narrative
While this case seems to have gone too far, it's not unreasonable for law enforcement to take such a post seriously. In the wake of Kirk's assassination, countless people online openly celebrated and called for more violence. Lawless political actors are becoming more emboldened, and society must be on guard as speech becomes physical violence.