DC to – The District of Columbia will pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Sam O’Hara, who said he was illegally detained by Metropolitan Police Department officers after playing “Star Wars” music as he followed Ohio National Guard troops through Washington, D.C
For 15 to 20 minutes, Sam O’Hara said he was kept handcuffed on a public street in Washington after playing Darth Vader’s theme from “Star Wars” on his cellphone. What he described as a protest turned into a detention—one he argued violated his constitutional rights.
Now, the District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle O’Hara’s lawsuit. The agreement was disclosed in a court filing, with the settlement amount included in a copy of the settlement provided by the office of D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb.
O’Hara. an artist who works in the hospitality industry. sued the district. four Metropolitan Police Department officers. and a guard member from the Ohio National Guard over the stop he says stemmed from his act of protest against President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington. D.C.
The settlement information came forward through filings made public Monday, with details revealed in an agreement document and companion disclosures. A filing on Thursday disclosed the settlement but did not specify the monetary terms.
The $50,000 settlement includes attorney’s fees and costs. O’Hara is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia. In an email on Friday. an ACLU spokesperson called the financial terms “a significant amount” that O’Hara “is pleased with. ” while saying the dollar figure would not be disclosed to protect his privacy.
Under the terms of the settlement, O’Hara agreed to drop his claims against the district and the MPD officers within three business days of receiving the settlement payment. The agreement also states that the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by the district.
O’Hara said he is satisfied with the settlement but remains torn over the fact that taxpayers would bear the cost. “Those who actually violated my constitutional rights should be the ones paying the price. like taking the money from their pensions. That’s what real accountability looks like,” he said. “This settlement is a reminder that our freedoms are worth fighting for. especially when the powerful would rather we suffer in silence.”.
O’Hara’s lawsuit was filed in October and centered on his claims that police officers violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and excessive force.
In the lawsuit, O’Hara described the moment leading to his detention on Sept. 11, 2025. He said he played “The Imperial March” theme from “Star Wars” on his phone as he followed several Ohio National Guard troops down a public street. He alleged that one of the troops summoned police officers. who stopped him and kept him handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges.
His legal fight is not fully over. The settlement with the district does not resolve related claims against Sgt. Devon Beck, an Ohio National Guard member. Beck has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.
The case arrives against a broader backdrop of heightened friction in Washington. Trump’s ongoing deployment of guard members in the city began last August after the Republican president issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the nation’s capital. The surge inflamed tensions with residents of the heavily Democratic district. and hundreds of guard members remain deployed nearly a year later with no clear end in sight.
Between a protest song and a prolonged handcuffing, O’Hara’s account has now reached a financial resolution in D.C. — even as a separate dispute over the Guard continues.
District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department settlement Sam O’Hara Darth Vader theme Star Wars Imperial March First Amendment Fourth Amendment American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia Brian L. Schwalb Donald Trump Ohio National Guard Devon Beck executive order crime emergency
So they detained him over Star Wars music? That’s wild.
If he was just playing a song on his phone, why would they even cuff him for that long. Sounds like some power trip to me. Pay him but also… why did the cops think it was a crime?
Wait, wasn’t this the guy who was like protesting Trump with Darth Vader? I mean Star Wars theme doesn’t really say anything political lol. But if he followed the Guard and they stopped him anyway, that’s still dumb. I’m guessing they overreacted and now they’re paying for it.
50k for holding him handcuffed… so basically they can just detain people over weird stuff and then pay a settlement. Next time I’m playing music at strangers and calling it protest, right? Also I saw something about ‘federal law enforcement surge’ and now I’m lost, like was this about Trump or about the song??