Washington D.C. Reaches $50,000 Settlement with Protester Who Followed National Guard Playing 'Imperial March'

The District of Columbia has finalized a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a protester who trailed an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing the iconic Darth Vader theme song from "Star Wars" on his mobile phone before his arrest.

Sam O’Hara is set to receive $50,000 as part of the agreement, following his allegations of unlawful detention and the use of excessive force, according to a court document filed on Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press.

Protester Expresses Mixed Feelings on Settlement

O’Hara, who works as an artist within the hospitality sector, conveyed his satisfaction with the settlement but also expressed reservations about the fact that the funds would come from taxpayer money.

"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," O’Hara stated in a comment, as reported by The Associated Press.

The incident in question occurred on September 11, 2025, when O’Hara reportedly followed several National Guard troops along a street, playing "The Imperial March" from "Star Wars" on his phone.

His lawsuit characterized this action as a form of satire, which O’Hara stated was a protest against then-President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to patrol neighborhoods within Washington, D.C.

According to court filings, one of the National Guard members contacted local police. Officers subsequently stopped O’Hara, restraining him in handcuffs "tightly" for an estimated 15 to 20 minutes before he was ultimately released without any charges being filed.

Lawsuit Details and Constitutional Claims

The following month, O’Hara initiated legal proceedings against Washington, D.C., four officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and a member of the Ohio National Guard.

In his court submissions, O’Hara asserted that the defendants had infringed upon his First and Fourth Amendment rights. He accused them of unlawfully restricting his freedom of speech and initiating an illegal seizure, alongside the use of excessive force.

The lawsuit sought both compensatory and punitive damages, citing claims that included false imprisonment, battery, and constitutional retaliation.

This increased federal presence began in August of the previous year, when former President Trump deployed National Guard members after declaring a crime emergency in the nation’s capital. The deployment contributed to heightened tensions among some residents in the predominantly Democratic district, who viewed the federal presence as an overreach of governmental authority.