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4d ago

D.C. Settles With Protester Who Played ‘Imperial March’ While Following National Guard

Ending O’Hara’s claims against the District through a confidential payment, the settlement leaves his suit against an Ohio National Guard sergeant unresolved.

National Guard members look at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, June 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
National guard on patrol at the Lincoln Memorial, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
FILE - Members of the National Guard walking in the lobby of Union Station in Washington, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

Overview

  • A court filing late Thursday said Sam O’Hara will dismiss claims against the District and four MPD officers in exchange for a confidential payment that the ACLU called a “significant amount.”
  • The settlement covers only the District and Metropolitan Police Department; O’Hara’s separate claims against Ohio National Guard Sgt. Devon Beck remain active in federal court.
  • O’Hara says he was following a Guard patrol and playing the “Imperial March” when officers handcuffed and detained him for about 15 to 20 minutes on Sept. 11, 2025 before releasing him without charges.
  • The Justice Department has urged a judge to dismiss the claims against Sgt. Beck on qualified immunity grounds, arguing his conduct could be seen as interfering with an armed patrol.
  • MPD said its internal affairs bureau is reviewing the incident and the case underscores tensions over the Trump administration’s 2025 National Guard deployment to D.C. and the legal limits of satirical protest and police response.