The District of Columbia has agreed to a settlement with a protester who was arrested after following an Ohio National Guard patrol and playing the iconic Darth Vader theme from “Star Wars” on his cellphone.
According to court documents obtained by The Associated Press, Sam O’Hara will be compensated $50,000 after alleging that he was unlawfully detained and subjected to excessive force.
O’Hara, an artist in the hospitality industry, expressed satisfaction with the settlement, although he expressed concerns over taxpayers footing the bill.
In a statement given to The AP, he remarked, “Those who violated my constitutional rights should be the ones held accountable, perhaps through their pensions. That’s what real accountability entails.”
Members of the National Guard 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.
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)
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.