Photo: LAUREN PUENTE / AFP / Getty Images
Sam O'Hara, a Washington, D.C., resident, filed a lawsuit on Thursday (October 23) after being detained for following Ohio National Guard members while playing The Imperial March from Star Wars. The incident occurred on September 11 when O'Hara was handcuffed and briefly detained by Metropolitan Police Department officers, who accused him of harassing the troops.
O'Hara, who regularly protested the National Guard's presence in D.C. by playing the iconic song, claims his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated. According to court documents, O'Hara had performed similar protests multiple times since August, gaining significant attention on social media.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing O'Hara, arguing that his peaceful protest was protected by the Constitution. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, naming four MPD officers and the Guard member who called them to the scene as defendants.
O'Hara's protest was a response to President Donald Trump's deployment of over 2,300 National Guard troops in D.C., which he viewed as a military "occupation."
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. The District of Columbia Attorney General has also sued to end the deployment, citing concerns over D.C.'s autonomy.