Man finally released a month after absurd arrest for reposting Trump meme
Cops knew the meme wasn’t a threat
Lexington police told The Intercept that Weems had lied when he told local news outlets that the forces had “coordinated” to offer Bushart a chance to delete the post prior to his arrest. Confronted with the bodycam footage, Weems denied lying, claiming that his investigator’s report must have been inaccurate, NewsChannel 5 reported.
Weems later admitted to NewsChannel 5 that “investigators knew that the meme was not about Perry County High School” and sought Bushart’s arrest anyway, supposedly hoping to quell “the fears of people in the community who misinterpreted it.” That’s as close as Weems comes to seemingly admitting that his intention was to censor the post.
The Perry County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to Ars’ request to comment.
Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old man, was released from Perry County Jail after spending over a month in custody for reposting a Trump meme on Facebook, which led to his arrest under a Tennessee law against threatening schools. The arrest, justified by the sheriff as a 'true threat', was later undermined by bodycam footage showing the arresting officer's confusion over the charges. The case sparked widespread concern over police censorship and free speech, leading to a social media campaign and media coverage that pressured officials to drop the charges. Despite his release, the incident highlighted the potential overreach of laws targeting online speech and the impact on individuals' lives and free expression.
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