D.C. Man Sues Police and Ohio Guard Over Arrest for Darth Vader Theme Protest

Sam O'Hara, a Washington, D.C. resident, has filed a federal lawsuit against the District of Columbia, four Metropolitan Police Department officers, and an Ohio National Guard member after being detained for playing the Star Wars theme "The Imperial March" behind National Guard troops patrolling city streets. O'Hara used the music as a peaceful protest against the military presence in D.C. following President Trump's 2025 order to deploy National Guard troops to combat violent crime in the city. The lawsuit alleges violations of O'Hara's First and Fourth Amendment rights, false arrest, and battery, claiming police unlawfully detained him for 15 to 20 minutes without charges. O'Hara's attorneys argue that his protest was protected free speech and that the seizure was groundless, condemning the use of military forces in civilian neighborhoods as a threat to democracy. The Ohio National Guard and D.C. police declined to comment on the case. The case raises broader concerns about the balance between public safety measures and constitutional rights amid increased military deployment in urban areas.