The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a resident who said police officers illegally detained him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader's theme song from "Star Wars" on his cellphone, according to documents released Monday.
The plaintiff, Sam O'Hara, sued the district, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he described as his act of protest against President Donald Trump's federal law enforcement surge in Washington. The settlement includes attorney's fees and costs, and is not an admission of wrongdoing by the district.
A court filing on Thursday disclosed the settlement but didn't specify monetary terms. The amount appeared in a copy of the settlement agreement that D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb's office provided to The Associated Press. O'Hara is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators have framed the settlement as an example of how local governments use taxpayer dollars to resolve lawsuits rather than contesting cases that could establish unfavorable precedent. Some noted that the settlement doesn't include any finding of wrongdoing by police officers.
The Ohio National Guard member named in the suit, Sgt. Devon Beck, has asked a judge to dismiss O'Hara's claims against him separately. The settlement with D.C. does not resolve those remaining claims. Supporters of law enforcement have argued that officers face difficult judgment calls when responding to situations involving protests near military personnel.
What the Left Is Saying
Civil liberties advocates said the case highlights broader concerns about First Amendment protections during a period of heightened federal presence in the capital. An ACLU spokesperson called the settlement amount "significant" and said O'Hara was "pleased" with the outcome, though the organization declined to disclose the dollar figure publicly to protect his privacy.
In a statement, O'Hara said he remains conflicted that taxpayers are footing the bill rather than those he believes violated his rights. "Those who actually violated my constitutional rights should be the ones paying the price, like taking the money from their pensions," he wrote. "This settlement is a reminder that our freedoms are worth fighting for, especially when the powerful would rather we suffer in silence."
The ACLU has argued that following uniformed personnel on public streets while playing music constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment. O'Hara's lawsuit alleged violations of his rights to free speech and against unreasonable seizures.
What the Numbers Show
The $50,000 settlement was paid by the District of Columbia. O'Hara agreed to drop his claims against the district and MPD officers within three business days of receiving payment.
According to the lawsuit, police detained O'Hara for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges. He played "The Imperial March" theme from Star Wars as he followed several National Guard troops down a public street on September 11, 2025.
Trump's deployment of guard members in Washington began in August 2024 after the president issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the nation's capital. Hundreds of guard members remain deployed nearly a year later, according to news reports.
The Bottom Line
The settlement concludes O'Hara's case against D.C. but leaves unresolved his claims against Sgt. Beck and the Ohio National Guard member individually. That separate litigation could still proceed.
For civil liberties advocates, the case reinforces the legal boundaries of peaceful protest near military and law enforcement personnel in public spaces. For critics of large settlements, it represents another instance of municipal governments paying to avoid trial rather than defending officer actions in court.
What happens next with Beck's motion to dismiss will determine whether any individual accountability remains at issue beyond the D.C. settlement.