FILE-A member of the National Guard patrols along the rim of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following the completion of recent renovations in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images)
A man won a $50,000 lawsuit after he accused police officers of unlawfully detaining him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from "Star Wars" on his cellphone.
The District of Columbia agreed to pay Sam O’Hara the money to settle his lawsuit, according to a settlement document obtained by the Associated Press. The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia represents him.
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O’Hara sued Washington, D.C., four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he alleged was his act of protest against President Donald Trump's federal law enforcement surge in the nation’s capital.
What was the protest lawsuit about?
The backstory:
In October 2025, Sam O’Hara sued Washington, D.C., alleging police officers violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourth Amendment rights against seizures and excessive force, according to a court document.
O’Hara played "The Imperial March" theme from "Star Wars" on his phone as he followed several National Guard troops down a street on Sept. 11, 2025.
According to the lawsuit, one of the troops called police officers, who stopped O’Hara and kept him handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the lawsuit and settlement document. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.