"On October 29, Larry Bushart was released from Perry County Jail, where he had spent weeks unable to make bail, which a judge set at $2 million. Prosecutors have not explained why the charges against him were dropped, according to The Intercept, which has been tracking the case closely. However, officials faced mounting pressure following media coverage and a social media campaign called "Free Larry Bushart," which stoked widespread concern over suspected police censorship of a US citizen over his political views."
"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."
Larry Bushart, 61, was jailed for over a month after reposting a Facebook meme referencing Donald Trump and the Perry High School mass shooting. A judge set his bail at $2 million, and he spent weeks unable to pay. Prosecutors later dropped the charges without explanation amid media attention and a "Free Larry Bushart" social media campaign. Perry County sheriff Nick Weems, who had mourned Kirk online, pursued Bushart after parents misread the post as a threat and contacted Lexington police to locate him. Bushart plans to sue, represented by attorney Joshua Phillips.
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