DC Resident Sues Police After ‘Star Wars’ Music Protest Arrest

A Washington, D.C. resident says an Ohio National Guard member unlawfully called upon three police officers to arrest him for playing the “Imperial March” music from “Star Wars” during what he called a protest.

Sam O’Hara says the arrest violated his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages from the defendants, according to his complaint filed Thursday at the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

President Donald Trump in August ordered the US Secretary of Defense to deploy the D.C. National Guard to address a purported crime problem, with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) sending 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard to assist.

O’Hara, who opposes the presence of military police, protested the deployment on several occasions, the complaint says. He did so by walking behind guard members and using his phone to play the Imperial March—music from “Star Wars” when Darth Vader or other “dark forces” appear—and recording the interactions.

On Sept. 11, an Ohio guard member responded to O’Hara’s music by calling the Metropolitan Police Department. Minutes later, police officers detained O’Hara and placed him in handcuffs.

The arrest violated the First Amendment by preventing O’Hara from recording and peacefully protesting the guard members’ presence, as well as his Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful seizure.

He further alleges the officers detained him for an unreasonable amount of time and applied the handcuffs too tightly.

He is suing the guard member and officers in their individual capacities, as well as the District of Columbia.

The Metropolitan Police Department declined to comment. The Ohio governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of the District of Columbia represents O’Hara.

The case is O’Hara v. Beck, D.D.C., No. 25-cv-3753, complaint filed 10/23/25.