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.
33 Articles
33 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…
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.”
DC To Pay Settlement To Man Arrested For Trolling National Guard By Playing Darth Vader Theme
The Hill reports: The District of Columbia has agreed to a settlement with a resident who sued the city and four police officers after he was detained last year for following National Guard troops while playing music from the “Star Wars” franchise. Sam O’Hara alleged in a complaint in October that four Metropolitan Police Department officers violated his First Amendment rights when they handcuffed him as he was protesting the deployment of Natio…
The Toronto Star
DC reaches court settlement with man detained while protesting troops’ patrol with Darth Vader song
WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia has reached a settlement agreement for an undisclosed amount of money with a resident who claims police illegally detained him for following an
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