Man who threw sandwich at U.S. federal agent found not guilty of assault

The Associated Press

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 2:40 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

A erstwhile Justice Department worker who threw a sandwich astatine a national cause during U.S. President Donald Trump's instrumentality enforcement surge successful Washington was recovered not blameworthy of battle connected Thursday successful the latest ineligible rebuke of the national intervention.

A viral video of the sandwich tossing made Sean Charles Dunn a awesome of absorption to Trump's deployment of national agents to combat transgression successful the nation's capital. His misdemeanor acquittal is different setback for prosecutors, who person faced a backlash for however they person handled transgression cases resulting from the instrumentality enforcement surge.

Prosecutors had told jurors that Dunn broke the instrumentality erstwhile helium threw his submarine sandwich astatine a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cause connected the nighttime of Aug. 10.

One of Dunn's lawyers urged the assemblage to acquit Dunn of a misdemeanor battle complaint aft a two-day trial. His lawyers argued it was a "harmless gesture" during an enactment of protestation protected by the First Amendment.

Defence lawyer Sabrina Shroff questioned wherefore the lawsuit was brought successful the archetypal place.

"A footlong from Subway could not and surely did not inflict immoderate bodily harm," Shroff said during the trial's closing arguments. "Throwing a sandwich is not a forcible offence."

Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's bureau said Dunn knew helium didn't person a close to propulsion the sandwich astatine the agent.

"This is not a lawsuit astir idiosyncratic with beardown opinions," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiLorenzo said. "It's astir an idiosyncratic who crossed the line."

Dunn hugged his lawyers aft the foreperson work the verdict. Later, helium said, "I'm relieved and I'm looking guardant to moving connected with my life."

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Dunn didn't attest astatine his trial. But the assemblage heard him explicate wherefore helium confronted a radical of CBP agents connected the aforesaid play that Trump announced his deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops and national agents to assistance with constabulary patrols successful Washington, D.C.

After his arrest, a law-enforcement officer's assemblage camera captured him saying: "I did it. I threw a sandwich. I did it to gully them distant from wherever they were. I succeeded."

A expansive assemblage refused to indict Dunn connected a felony battle count, portion of a signifier of pushback against the Justice Department's prosecution of surge-related transgression cases.

After the uncommon rebuke from the expansive jury, Pirro's bureau charged Dunn alternatively with a misdemeanor.

When Dunn approached a radical of CBP agents who were successful beforehand of a nine hosting a "Latin Night," helium called them "fascists" and "racists" and chanted "shame" toward them. An observer's video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich astatine an agent's chest.

"Why are you here? I don't privation you successful my city!" Dunn shouted, according to police.

Dunn ran distant but was apprehended. DiLorenzo said the agents confronted by Dunn showed "the utmost restraint."

"He spent 7 minutes trying to get them disconnected that corner," the authoritative said.

Protesters show against Trump's planned usage of national instrumentality enforcement and National Guard troops successful Washington, during a rally successful beforehand of the White House Aug. 11. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press)

CBP Agent Gregory Lairmore testified that the sandwich "exploded" erstwhile it struck his thorax hard capable that helium could consciousness it done his ballistic vest.

"You could odor the onions and the mustard," helium recalled.

Lairmore's colleagues jokingly gave him gifts making airy of the incident, including a sandwich-shaped plush artifact and a spot that said "felony footlong." Lairmore acknowledged that helium kept the gifts, placing the spot connected his lunchbox.

"If idiosyncratic assaulted you, idiosyncratic offended you, would you support mementos of that assault?" Shroff asked jurors. "Of people not."

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Dunn was released from custody but rearrested erstwhile a squad of equipped national agents successful riot cogwheel raided his home. The White House posted a highly produced "propaganda" video of the raid connected its authoritative X account, Dunn's lawyers said.

Dunn worked arsenic an planetary affairs specializer successful the U.S. Justice Department's transgression division. After Dunn's arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his firing successful a societal media station that referred to him arsenic "an illustration of the Deep State."

His lawyers urged the justice to disregard the lawsuit for what they allege is simply a vindictive and selective prosecution. They argued that the posts by Bondi and the White House amusement Dunn was impermissibly targeted for his governmental speech.

Dunn is charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a national officer. Dozens of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021, were convicted of felonies for assaulting oregon interfering with police. Trump pardoned oregon ordered the dismissal of charges for each of them.