D.C. Settles Lawsuit Over Man Detained for Playing Darth Vader Theme

The District of Columbia has agreed an undisclosed financial settlement with a resident who alleged he was unlawfully detained by police for playing Darth Vader’s theme song from Star Wars on his phone. The resident, Sam O'Hara, was reportedly protesting a federal law-enforcement surge by the then-US administration in the nation's capital. A court filing on Thursday confirmed that Mr O'Hara will withdraw his lawsuit claims against the district and four Metropolitan Police Department officers within three business days of receiving the payment. The exact sum of the agreement between the district and Mr O'Hara, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of the District of Columbia, has not been specified. An ACLU spokesperson described the settlement's financial terms as "a significant amount" that Mr O’Hara "is pleased with," but stated the figure would not be disclosed to protect his privacy. A spokesperson for D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office declined to comment on the matter. Mr O'Hara's agreement with the district does not, however, resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member, Sergeant Devon Beck. Attorneys representing Sgt Beck have formally requested a judge to dismiss the claims against him. “He was there because that was his assigned duty,” Beck’s lawyers wrote. “This was not an accidental encounter or a one-time disagreement on a public sidewalk.” An earlier court filing, in February, said O'Hara had reached a settlement agreement “in principle” with the district. In response, a judge agreed to suspend the case while they negotiated terms. O'Hara sued the district last October, claiming police officers violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and excessive force. The ominous orchestral music of “The Imperial March” from Star Wars movies was the soundtrack for O’Hara's peaceful protests against President Donald Trump’s deployment of Guard members in Washington. Millions of TikTok users have viewed O’Hara’s videos of his interactions with troops, according to his lawsuit. O’Hara, an artist who works in the hospitality industry, says he didn’t interfere with the Guard troops during their 11 September, 2025, encounter on a public street. One of the troops summoned Metropolitan Police Department officers, who stopped O’Hara and kept him handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges, according to the lawsuit. “The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests,” the suit says.