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The District of Columbia has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a protester who tailed an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from “Star Wars” on his cellphone before being arrested.
Sam O’Hara will receive $50,000 after alleging he was unlawfully detained and subjected to excessive force, according to a Thursday court filing obtained by The Associated Press (AP).
O’Hara, who works in the hospitality industry as an artist, said he is satisfied with the settlement but conflicted that taxpayers are covering 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 in a statement, according to The AP.
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National Guard members gather at the Capitol, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
On Sept. 11, 2025, O’Hara reportedly walked behind several National Guard troops down a street and played “The Imperial March” from “Star Wars” on his phone.
He alleged that his protest, which the lawsuit characterized as satire, was aimed at President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops patrolling D.C. neighborhoods
According to the lawsuit, one of the National Guard members called police, who stopped O’Hara and kept him handcuffed “tightly” for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges.
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South Carolina National Guard soldiers keep watch as travelers arrive at the entrance to Union Station near the Capitol, Thursday, Aug 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo)
The following month, O’Hara sued Washington, D.C., four Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers and an Ohio National Guard member.
In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
The lawsuit sought compensatory and punitive damages for claims including false imprisonment, battery and constitutional retaliation.
National Guard members patrol the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Aug. 30, 2025. (Andrew Leyden/Getty)
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Last August, Trump began deploying National Guard members after declaring a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.
The increased federal presence heightened tensions among some residents in the heavily Democratic district who criticized the deployment as an overreach of federal authority.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
