“D.C. Police Agree To Compensate District Resident Handcuffed for Playing Star Wars “Imperial March” Theme Near National Guard Troops”

photo by Diane Krauthamer

From the DC ACLU:

“The District of Columbia has agreed to pay to settle a First Amendment lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.), on behalf of Sam O’Hara, a D.C. resident who was handcuffed for playing the “Imperial March” from Star Wars while walking behind National Guard troops.

This settlement only applies to the conduct of D.C. police officers, and the case continues against Ohio National Guard Sgt. Devon Beck, who summoned D.C. police to end Mr. O’Hara’s constitutionally protected act of protest.

“The government’s efforts to silence me ultimately backfired and brought more attention to the unjust deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.,” said Sam O’Hara, plaintiff in the case. “This settlement serves as a reminder that constitutional freedoms are worth defending, especially when those in power would prefer we stay quiet.”

After President Trump deployed National Guard troops to patrol the District of Columbia in August 2025, O’Hara began his creative form of protest, following troops while playing the Imperial March, the song that plays when Darth Vader and stormtroopers are on screen in Star Wars films, and recording his action. Sgt. Beck did not take kindly to O’Hara’s actions when they encountered each other on September 11, 2025, near the intersection of 14th and Q Streets NW. After Beck summoned D.C. police officers to “handle” him, O’Hara was handcuffed and detained for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

“Our right to free speech grants us the freedom to criticize the government. Government officials don’t have to like it, but they can’t punish someone for their speech,” said Scott Michelman, legal director at the ACLU-D.C., which represents O’Hara. “This episode is another demonstration of the folly of Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to patrol D.C. We don’t need them here, intimidating residents and violating their constitutional rights.”

The agreement announced today releases all District of Columbia defendants from the case in exchange for compensation paid to O’Hara.

For more information on the case, O’Hara v. Beck, visit here.”