… Bushart’s arrest came after he decided to troll a message thread about a Charlie Kirk vigil in a Facebook group called “What’s Happening in Perry County, TN.” He posted a meme showing a picture of Donald Trump saying, “We should get over it.” The meme included a caption that said “Donald Trump, on the Perry High School mass shooting, one day after,” and Bushart included a comment with his post that said, “This seems relevant today ….”
His meme caught the eye of the Perry County sheriff, Nick Weems, who had mourned Kirk’s passing on his own Facebook page, The Intercept noted.
Supposedly, Weems’ decision to go after Bushart wasn’t due to his political views but to receiving messages from parents who misread Bushart’s post as possibly threatening an attack on the local Perry County High School. To pressure Bushart to remove the post, Weems contacted the Lexington Police Department to find Bushart. That led to the meme poster’s arrest and transfer to Perry County Jail…
Yeah, free speech in country of freedom (says Hollywood)
*wrongful arrest
“Bushart is now planning to sue, his attorney Joshua Phillips told The Washington Post.”
Prosecutors have not explained why the charges against him were dropped
They need to explain why he was arrested.
That’s not quite true. The police will have to explain why he was arrested. The prosecutors have to explain why they kept him locked up for more than a few hours, because they had to make a showing of probable cause before a magistrate to keep him there.
Hard to prove wrongful arrest, and should be, else every arrest would be a court challenge. I’ve been on the wrong side of prima facie. Cop says so, it’s true. I get it. But this one is for the fucking books.
There was no threat, implied or explicit. No way the local pigs or DA can spin this. And believe this, anything you say can be a threat, good enough for arrest, good enough for “assault”.
Had a redneck chase me down the creek today, from his side. He was oh so very careful not to make an actionable threat. (Probably helped that I was clearly armed. Amazing how polite people are when you have a gun on your pack.) “You’re on my land! I called the person who owns the other land! What’s your name? You live in $neighborhood?” Goddamn he would not leave me alone until I got past where he could continue chasing me. Kept my fucking mouth shut, walked quick. So much as, “Go fuck yaself!” might have brought pigs down on me. (Assuming the the fat bastards wanted to search miles and miles of trail.)
Called my MAGA neighbor a fascist and his wife a fat, froggy little Nazi. Told him he could die in a fire. BAM! Cops at my door. “You threaten to burn him?” I STFU except to tell them no threats were exchanged and they could go on their way. And I did not step outside my door. That’s important. Pig threatened to trump up a charge, I said nothing, not even a dare. They went away.
All that to say, I feel this man has a case. The government directly impinged on his free speech. A month in jail?! Any lawyer could spin that into a shitload of damages. Can’t find the screenshot ATM (help?), but it’s laughable. No threat, implied or explicit.
