Overview
- The ACLU filed a federal complaint Oct. 23–24 on behalf of Sam O’Hara, who says MPD officers handcuffed and detained him for 15–20 minutes on Sept. 11 before releasing him without charges.
- Defendants include four Metropolitan Police Department officers, Ohio National Guard Sgt. Devon Beck, and the District of Columbia, with claims of First and Fourth Amendment violations and D.C. law torts.
- The suit says O’Hara followed four Ohio Guard members in Logan Circle while playing the Star Wars theme as satire, a protest he regularly posted to TikTok where prior encounters drew millions of views.
- O’Hara alleges tight handcuffs left wrist marks and aggravated a shoulder injury, and he seeks compensatory and punitive damages along with a court declaration that his rights were violated.
- An MPD incident report states O’Hara was “sent on [his] way” after the stop; officials have declined substantive comment, the four named officers remain on duty, and the case is now pending in federal court.