The District of Columbia has reached a settlement with Sam O'Hara, a D.C. resident who sued the city after being detained and handcuffed for playing "The Imperial March" — Darth Vader's theme music from "Star Wars" — while protesting National Guard troops deployed to the capital last fall. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented O'Hara, confirmed he is receiving compensation but declined to provide further details.
The incident occurred in September 2025 during protests against President Donald Trump's decision to send National Guard members to patrol D.C. streets. According to his lawsuit, O'Hara walked several feet behind National Guard troops he encountered in the city while playing the iconic Star Wars soundtrack from his phone and a small speaker at an audible but not blaring volume. He recorded the encounters and posted them on TikTok, where they garnered millions of views.
What the Right Is Saying
The Justice Department intervened on behalf of Sgt. Devon Beck, an Ohio National Guard member named in the lawsuit, arguing that O'Hara's actions were not protected speech and that qualified immunity should shield government officials from liability. DOJ attorneys contended that following armed patrols while playing distracting music could reasonably be perceived as interfering with military operations. "An armed patrol must attend to nearby persons, maintain the ability to hear, and move without a civilian trailing it at close range," Justice Department lawyers wrote. They also argued that Beck and his fellow Guardsmen could have reasonably felt harassed by O'Hara's conduct and concerned about potential threats. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the settlement.
What the Left Is Saying
The ACLU argued that O'Hara's prosecution represented a dangerous overreach by government authorities into constitutionally protected speech. "The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," his lawsuit stated, invoking the opening crawl of Star Wars films. "But in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests." The civil liberties organization maintained that O'Hara was engaged in protected satirical expression, not unlawful conduct. "Mr. O'Hara was deeply concerned about the normalization of troops patrolling D.C. neighborhoods," the suit said, noting his method of protest was non-violent and posed no genuine threat to anyone.
What the Numbers Show
The D.C. attorney general's office and Mayor's Office referred questions to other agencies, and representatives for Metropolitan Police and Attorney General Brian Schwalb did not respond to requests for comment as of publication time. O'Hara filed suit against Beck, four unnamed Metropolitan Police officers, and the city. The settlement resolves only his claims against D.C.; his case against Beck remains pending in federal court. The Ohio National Guard representative also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. No figures were released regarding the settlement amount.
The Bottom Line
The resolution with D.C. marks one step toward concluding O'Hara's legal battle, though significant questions about protest rights and government authority remain unresolved. His claims against Beck continue under the qualified immunity doctrine, which shields officials from lawsuits unless their conduct violated clearly established law. The case illustrates ongoing tensions between demonstrators and security forces during high-profile deployments to the capital. Legal observers will watch whether the remaining claims proceed to discovery or are dismissed.