Washington, D.C. Resident Files Lawsuit Over First Amendment Violations During Protest
A Washington, D.C. resident, Sam O'Hara, has filed a federal lawsuit against an Ohio National Guard member and four D.C. police officers, claiming his constitutional rights were violated during a protest. O'Hara was protesting the deployment of the National Guard in D.C. by playing "The Imperial March" from Star Wars behind troops. The incident occurred in D.C.'s Logan Circle, where O'Hara was detained by police for allegedly harassing the Guard. The lawsuit alleges violations of O'Hara's First and Fourth Amendment rights, including false arrest and excessive force.
The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU on behalf of O'Hara, accuses the Ohio Guardsman, MPD officers, and the District of Columbia of violating O'Hara's rights. O'Hara was handcuffed and detained for 15 to 20 minutes without being charged. The lawsuit seeks damages and a ruling that O'Hara's rights were violated, citing false arrest, false imprisonment, and battery under D.C. common law. Governor DeWine had deployed Ohio Military Police to D.C. for "presence patrols" in response to rising crime, with the directive that Guard members would not make arrests.
The ACLU-D.C. senior staff attorney, Michael Perloff, emphasized that government officials cannot punish individuals for making them the subject of a protest. The lawsuit aims to hold the defendants accountable for violating O'Hara's rights and seeks compensatory and punitive damages. O'Hara's complaint has been sent to Governor DeWine's office for a response. The lawsuit highlights the importance of upholding First Amendment rights and protecting individuals' freedom of speech and protest.