Former police officer’s Facebook comments lead to his arrest

PERRY COUNTY, Tenn. — Facebook memes landed a former law enforcement officer in jail.

📸: Vinelink

According to an arrest warrant, 61-year-old Larry Gene Bushart, Jr. is charged with “threatening mass violence at school.”

Bushart is a Lexington resident and former police officer, previously arrested for a separate offense in 2012.

An affidavit states that authorities were made aware of a series of posts made by Bushart on a Facebook page dedicated to the Perry County community.

The affidavit states that the posts were made on a message thread regarding a Charlie Kirk vigil that was held in Linden on September 20.

One meme that Bushart posted depicted an image of President Donald Trump, overlaid with the text: “‘We have to get over it.’ – Donald Trump, on the Perry High School mass shooting one day after.”

Media outlet WOPC reports Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems stated Bushart alluding to a hypothetical shooting in the Facebook forum caused “considerable concern” in the community.

Bushart was served an arrest warrant and was booked into the Perry County jail in Linden just before 2 a.m. Monday, where he remains in custody at the time of this report. No bond amount is indicated.

He’s expected to appear in Perry County General Sessions Court on October 9 at 9 a.m.

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