A Tennessee man who was jailed on a $2 million bond after being accused of threatening mass violence by posting memes of President Donald Trump in a Facebook group organizing a local vigil to honor Charlie Kirk has finally been released and cleared of wrongdoing.
Larry Bushart, Jr., 61, was charged in September with threats of mass violence on school property and activities after posting the images in the Perry County community group, where a memorial for the slain conservative activist was being planned.
One of the memes Bushart posted featured an image and a direct quote from Trump that read, “We have to get over it.”
The president made that statement after a school shooting in January 2024 in Perry, Iowa, in which one person was killed and seven others were injured.
Bushart, a former police officer, also captioned his post with, “This seems relevant today.”
Members of the group feared the post was a threat against the school where the mass shooting took place and called police, a local sheriff claimed. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems claimed his office received “numerous” calls from concerned residents.
This spurred a joint effort between authorities in Perry County and officers in Lexington, Tennessee, who were sent to Bushart’s home to question him.
Bodycam footage obtained by WTVF shows the moments multiple Lexington police officers came knocking at Bushart’s door on Sept. 21.
Officer: “So, I’m just going to be completely honest with you. I have really no idea what they are talking about. He had just called me and said there was some concerning posts that were made….”
Bushart: “On Facebook.”
Officer: “On Facebook, yes, sir.”
Bushart: “And they sent you guys?”
Officer: “They did. They wanted me to come make contact with you and let you know that they may be in contact with you and see if you still live here. I don’t know exactly what they are referring to you.”
Bushart: “Oh, I do — Charlie Kirk.”
Officer: “They said that something was insinuating violence.”
Bushart: “No, it wasn’t. I’m not going to take it down. Go look!”
Officer: “I don’t care. This ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
At the time of Bushart’s arrest, Weems said, “Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community.”
However, the arrest raised questions about how and why the post was a threat of mass violence.
A few weeks after Bushart was booked into jail, Sheriff Weems said that Bushart wouldn’t have been taken into custody had he agreed to remove his post from the Facebook group. Weems said that’s why officers were sent to Bushart’s home to speak with him about the matter before taking further action.
“We try to de-escalate the situation or try to find an easier solution,” Weems told WTVF. “And he admitted to making the post and advised that he was not taking it down. So, therefore, he was showing the intent.”
Weems said that after he and the district attorney spoke with the Lexington investigator who met with Bushart, authorities ultimately decided to file charges “because of the fear that he had created in our community.”
Bushart was initially charged under a state law passed in July 2024 that makes it a Class E felony to make threats against schools. However, the bodycam video doesn’t show the officer questioning Bushart about any alleged intention to target a school.
Authorities finally dropped the charges against Bushart on Oct. 29. He lost his job in medical transport due to his month-long detention.
Weems said he has not yet seen the bodycam footage, but his office has requested it for review.
