A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during a protest in Washington DC has been found not guilty of assault by a jury. Sean Charles Dunn, a former paralegal, was acquitted on Thursday in what is being seen as a rebuke of federal intervention in the city.
Dunn threw the sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer on 10 August, shouting, “Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” and calling the officers “fascists”. The incident went viral, with Dunn becoming a symbol of resistance to the Trump administration’s law enforcement surge in the capital.
Dunn’s lawyers argued the sandwich throw was a “harmless gesture” of protest. His attorney, Julia Gatto, said in opening statements: “Sean Dunn expressed his opinions. He expressed them loudly, and he expressed them maybe you think vulgarly, but he expressed his opinions. But words without force are never assault.”
Prosecutors contended that Dunn knew he had no right to throw the sandwich at the agent at “point-blank range”. The officer, Gregory Lairmore, testified that the sandwich “kind of exploded all over my uniform” and smelled of onions and mustard, though the defence noted that the sandwich appeared to remain in its wrapper.
Dunn was initially charged with a felony, but a grand jury declined to indict him. He was later charged with a misdemeanour. After the incident, he was fired from the Department of Justice. Attorney General Pam Bondi called him an example of the “deep state”, saying, “If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you.”
A GoFundMe page for Dunn noted his service in the US Air Force and deployment to Afghanistan, stating he is “proud of his career serving the people of the United States”. The acquittal is the latest instance of DC residents pushing back against federal forces in their city.
